The Crabs Claw (CRC) YABBY gene is required for regulating carpel development in angiosperms and has played an important role in nectary evolution during core eudicot speciation. The function or expression of CRC-like genes has been explored in two basaleudicots,
Eschscholzia californica and Aquilegia formosa. To further investigate the function of CRC orthologous genes related to evolution of carpel and nectary development in basaleudicots, a CRC ortholog, EsCRC, was isolated and characterized from Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. and Zucc.) Maxim. A phylogenetic analysis of EsCRC and previously identified CRC-like genes placed EsCRC within the basaleudicot lineage. Gene expression results suggest that
EsCRC is involved in the development of sepals and carpels, but not nectaries. Phenotypic complementation of the Arabidopsis mutant crc-1 was achieved by constitutive expression of EsCRC. In addition, over-expression of EsCRC in Arabidopsis and tobacco gave rise to abaxially curled leaves. Transgenic results together with the gene expression analysis suggest that EsCRC may maintain a conserved function in carpel development and also play a novel role related to sepal formation. Absence of EsCRC
and ElCRC expression in nectaries further indicates that nectary development in non-core eudicots is unrelated to expression of CRC-like genes.
Characterization of a Crabs Claw Gene in BasalEudicotSpecies Epimedium sagittatum (Berberidaceae)
The Crabs Claw (CRC) YABBY gene is required for regulating carpel development in angiosperms and has played an important role in nectary evolution during core eudicot speciation. The function or expression of
CRC-like genes has been explored in two basaleudicots, Eschscholzia californica and Aquilegia formosa. To further investigate the function of CRC orthologous genes related to evolution of carpel and nectary development in basaleudicots, a CRC ortholog, EsCRC, was isolated and characterized from Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. and Zucc.) Maxim. A phylogenetic analysis of EsCRC and previously identified CRC-like genes placed EsCRC within the
basaleudicot lineage. Gene expression results suggest that EsCRC is involved in the development of sepals and carpels, but not nectaries. Phenotypic complementation of the Arabidopsis mutant crc-1 was achieved by constitutive expression of EsCRC. In addition, over-expression of EsCRC in Arabidopsis and tobacco gave rise to abaxially curled leaves. Transgenic results together with the gene expression analysis suggest that EsCRC may maintain a conserved function in
carpel development and also play a novel role related to sepal formation. Absence of EsCRC and ElCRC expression in nectaries further indicates that nectary development in non-core eudicots is unrelated to expression of CRC-like genes. PMID:23299438
Comparative transcriptomics among floral organs of the basaleudicot Eschscholzia californica as reference for floral evolutionary developmental studies
PubMed Central
2010-01-01
Background Molecular genetic studies of floral development have concentrated on several core eudicots and grasses (monocots), which have canalized floral forms. Basaleudicots possess a wider range of floral morphologies than the core eudicots and grasses and can serve as an evolutionary link between core eudicots
and monocots, and provide a reference for studies of other basal angiosperms. Recent advances in genomics have enabled researchers to profile gene activities during floral development, primarily in the eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana and the monocots rice and maize. However, our understanding of floral developmental processes among the basaleudicots remains limited. Results Using a recently generated expressed sequence tag (EST) set, we have
designed an oligonucleotide microarray for the basaleudicot Eschscholzia californica (California poppy). We performed microarray experiments with an interwoven-loop design in order to characterize the E. californica floral transcriptome and to identify differentially expressed genes in flower buds with pre-meiotic and meiotic cells, four floral organs at pre-anthesis stages (sepals, petals, stamens and carpels), developing fruits, and leaves. Conclusions Our results
provide a foundation for comparative gene expression studies between eudicots and basal angiosperms. We identified whorl-specific gene expression patterns in E. californica and examined the floral expression of several gene families. Interestingly, most E. californica homologs of Arabidopsis genes important for flower development, except for genes encoding MADS-box transcription factors, show different expression patterns between the two species. Our
comparative transcriptomics study highlights the unique evolutionary position of E. californica compared with basal angiosperms and core eudicots. PMID:20950453
Isolation and Functional Analyses of a Putative
Floral Homeotic C-Function Gene in a BasalEudicot London Plane Tree (Platanus acerifolia)
PubMed Central
Liu, Guofeng; Bao, Manzhu
2013-01-01
The identification of mutants in model plant species has led to the isolation of the floral homeotic function genes that play crucial roles in flower organ specification. However, floral homeotic
C-function genes are rarely studied in basaleudicots. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of the AGAMOUS (AG) orthologous gene (PaAG) from a basaleudicot London plane tree (Platanus acerifolia Willd). Phylogenetic analysis showed that PaAG belongs to the C- clade AG group of genes. PaAG was found to be expressed predominantly in the later developmental stages of male and female inflorescences. Ectopic expression of PaAG-1 in
tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) resulted in morphological alterations of the outer two flower whorls, as well as some defects in vegetative growth. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) confirmed homeotic sepal-to-carpel transformation in the transgenic plants. Protein interaction assays in yeast cells indicated that PaAG could interact directly with PaAP3 (a B-class MADS-box protein in P. acerifolia), and also PaSEP1 and PaSEP3 (E-class MADS-box proteins in P. acerifolia). This study performed the
functional analysis of AG orthologous genes outside core eudicots and monocots. Our findings demonstrate a conserved functional role of AG homolog in London plane tree, which also represent a contribution towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of flower development in this monoecious tree species. PMID:23691041
Combining Phylogenetic and Syntenic Analyses for Understanding the Evolution of TCP ECE Genes in Eudicots
TCP ECE genes encode transcription
factors which have received much attention for their repeated recruitment in the control of floral symmetry in core eudicots, and more recently in monocots. Major duplications of TCP ECE genes have been described in core eudicots, but the evolutionary history of this gene family is unknown in basaleudicots. Reconstructing the phylogeny of ECE genes in basaleudicots will help set a framework for understanding the
functional evolution of these genes. TCP ECE genes were sequenced in all major lineages of basaleudicots and Gunnera which belongs to the sister clade to all other core eudicots. We show that in these lineages they have a complex evolutionary history with repeated duplications. We estimate the timing of the two major duplications already identified in the core eudicots within a timeframe before the divergence of Gunnera and after the
divergence of Proteales. We also use a synteny-based approach to examine the extent to which the expansion of TCP ECE genes in diverse eudicot lineages may be due to genome-wide duplications. The three major core-eudicot specific clades share a number of collinear genes, and their common evolutionary history may have originated at the γ event. Genomic comparisons in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum highlight their separate polyploid origin, with syntenic
fragments with and without TCP ECE genes showing differential gene loss and genomic rearrangements. Comparison between recently available genomes from two basaleudicots Aquilegia coerulea and Nelumbo nucifera suggests that the two TCP ECE paralogs in these species are also derived from large-scale duplications. TCP ECE loci from basaleudicots share many features with the three main core eudicot loci, and allow us to
infer the makeup of the ancestral eudicot locus. PMID:24019982
Functional conservation and divergence of five SEPALLATA-like genes from a basaleudicot tree, Platanus acerifolia.
Five SEP -like genes were cloned and identified from Platanus acerifolia through the analysis of expression profiles, protein-protein interaction patterns, and transgenic phenotypes, which suggested that they play conservative and diverse functions in floral initiation
and development, fruit development, bud growth, and dormancy. SEPALLATA (SEP) genes have been well characterized in core eudicots and some monocots, and they play important and diverse roles in plant development, including flower meristem initiation, floral organ identity, and fruit development and ripening. However, the knowledge on the function and evolution of SEP-like genes in basaleudicotspecies is very limited. Here, we cloned and
identified five SEP-like genes from London plane (Platanus acerifolia), a basaleudicot tree that is widely used for landscaping in cities. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that three genes (PlacSEP1.1, PlacSEP1.2, and PlacSEP1.3) belong to the SEP1/2/4 clade, while the other two genes (PlacSEP3.1 and PlacSEP3.2) are grouped into the SEP3 clade. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that all PlacSEPs, except PlacSEP1.1 and
PlacSEP1.2, were expressed during the male and female inflorescence initiation, and throughout the flower and fruit development process. PlacSEP1.2 gene expression was only detected clearly in female inflorescence at April. PlacSEP1.3 and PlacSEP3.1 were also expressed, although relatively weak, in vegetative buds of adult trees. No evident PlacSEPs transcripts were detected in various organs of juvenile trees. Overexpression of PlacSEPs in Arabidopsis and tobacco plants resulted in different
phenotypic alterations. 35S:PlacSEP1.1, 35S:PlacSEP1.3, and 35S:PlacSEP3.2 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed evident early flowering, with less rosette leaves but more cauline leaves, while 35S:PlacSEP1.2 and PlacSEP3.1 transgenic plants showed no visible phenotypic changes. 35S:PlacSEP1.1 and 35S:PlacSEP3.2 transgenic
Characterization of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Proteaceae, a basaleudicot family with multiple shifts in floral symmetry
Background and Aims The basaleudicot family Proteaceae (approx. 1700 species) shows considerable variation in floral symmetry but has received little attention in studies of evolutionary development at the genetic level. A framework for understanding
the shifts in floral symmetry in Proteaceae is provided by reconstructing ancestral states on an upated phylogeny of the family, and homologues of CYCLOIDEA (CYC), a key gene for the control of floral symmetry in both monocots and eudicots, are characterized. Methods Perianth symmetry transitions were reconstructed on a new species-level tree using parsimony and maximum likelihood. CYC-like genes in 35 species (31 genera) of Proteaceae were sequenced and
their phylogeny was reconstructed. Shifts in selection pressure following gene duplication were investigated using nested branch-site models of sequence evolution. Expression patterns of CYC homologues were characterized in three species of Grevillea with different types of floral symmetry. Key Results Zygomorphy has evolved 10–18 times independently in Proteaceae from actinomorphic ancestors, with at least four reversals to actinomorphy. A single duplication of CYC-like genes
occurred prior to the diversification of Proteaceae, with putative loss or divergence of the ProtCYC1 paralogue in more than half of the species sampled. No shifts in selection pressure were detected in the branches subtending the two ProtCYC paralogues. However, the amino acid sequence preceding the TCP domain is strongly divergent in Grevillea ProtCYC1 compared with other species. ProtCYC genes were expressed in developing flowers of both actinomorphic and zygomorphic
Grevillea species, with late asymmetric expression in the perianth of the latter. Conclusion Proteaceae is a remarkable family in terms of the number of transitions in floral symmetry. Furthermore, although CYC-like genes in Grevillea have unusual sequence characteristics, they display patterns of expression that make them good
The NnCenH3 protein and centromeric DNA sequence profiles of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (sacred lotus) reveal the DNA structures and dynamics of centromeres in basaleudicots.
First Nuclear DNA C-values for 18 Eudicot Families
PubMed Central
HANSON, LYNDA; BOYD, AMY; JOHNSON, MARGARET A. T.; BENNETT,
MICHAEL D.
2005-01-01
• Background and Aims A key target set at the second Plant Genome Size Workshop, held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2003, was to produce first DNA C-value data for an additional 1 % of angiosperm species, and, within this, to achieve 75 % familial coverage overall (up from approx. 50 %) by 2009. The present study targeted eudicot families for which representation in 2003 (42·5 %) was much lower than monocot (72·8 %) and
basal angiosperm (69·0 %) families. • Methods Flow cytometry or Feulgen microdensitometry were used to estimate nuclear DNA C-values, and chromosome counts were obtained where possible. • Key Results First nuclear DNA C-values are reported for 20 angiosperm families, including 18 eudicots. This substantially increases familial representation to 55·2 % for angiosperms and 48·5 % for eudicots. • Conclusions The importance of targeting specific plant families
to improve familial nuclear DNA C-value representation is reconfirmed. International collaboration will be increasingly essential to locate and obtain material of unsampled plant families, if the target set by the second Plant Genome Size Workshop is to be met. PMID:16239248
Floral Development of Berberidopsis corallina: a Crucial Link in the Evolution of Flowers in the Core Eudicots
PubMed Central
RONSE DE
CRAENE, LOUIS P.
2004-01-01
• Background and Aims On the basis of molecular evidence Berberidopsidaceae have been linked with Aextoxicaceae in an order Berberidopsidales at the base of the core Eudicots. The floral development of Berberidopsis is central to the understanding of the evolution of floral configurations at the transition of the basalEudicots to the core Eudicots. It lies at the transition of trimerous or dimerous,
simplified apetalous forms into pentamerous, petaliferous flowers. • Methods The floral ontogeny of Berberidopsis was studied with a scanning electron microscope. • Key Results Flowers are grouped in terminal racemes with variable development. The relationship between the number of tepals, stamens and carpels is more or less fixed and floral initiation follows a strict 2/5 phyllotaxis. Two bracteoles, 12 tepals, eight stamens and three carpels are initiated in a regular sequence. The number of
stamens can be increased by a doubling of stamen positions. • Conclusions The floral ontogeny of Berberidopsis provides support for the shift in floral bauplan from the basalEudicots to the core Eudicots as a transition of a spiral flower with a 2/5 phyllotaxis to pentamerous flowers with two perianth whorls, two stamen whorls and a single carpel whorl. The differentiation of sepals and petals from bracteotepals is discussed and a comparison is made with
other Eudicots with a similar configuration and development. Depending on the resolution of the relationships among the basalmost core Eudicots it is suggested that Berberidopsis either represents a critical stage in the evolution of pentamerous flowers of major clades of Eudicots, or has a floral prototype that may be at the base of evolution of flowers of other core Eudicots. The distribution of a floral Bauplan in other clades of
Eudicots similar to Berberidopsidales is discussed. PMID:15451722
The ABC Model and its Applicability to Basal Angiosperms
PubMed Central
Soltis, Douglas E.; Chanderbali, André S.; Kim, Sangtae; Buzgo, Matyas; Soltis, Pamela S.
2007-01-01
Background Although the flower is the central feature of the angiosperms, little is known of its origin and subsequent diversification. The ABC model has long been the unifying paradigm for floral developmental genetics, but it is based on phylogenetically derived eudicot
models. Synergistic research involving phylogenetics, classical developmental studies, genomics and developmental genetics has afforded valuable new insights into floral evolution in general, and the early flower in particular. Scope and Conclusions Genomic studies indicate that basal angiosperms, and by inference the earliest angiosperms, had a rich tool kit of floral genes. Homologues of the ABCE floral organ identity genes are also present in basal angiosperm
lineages; however, C-, E- and particularly B-function genes are more broadly expressed in basal lineages. There is no single model of floral organ identity that applies to all angiosperms; there are multiple models that apply depending on the phylogenetic position and floral structure of the group in question. The classic ABC (or ABCE) model may work well for most eudicots. However, modifications are needed for basaleudicots and, the focus of
this paper, basal angiosperms. We offer ‘fading borders’ as a testable hypothesis for the basal-most angiosperms and, by inference, perhaps some of the earliest (now extinct) angiosperms. PMID:17616563
Divergent Evolutionary Pattern of Sugar Transporter Genes is Associated with the
Difference in Sugar Accumulation between Grasses and Eudicots.
Sugars play a variety of roles in plants, and their accumulation in seeds and/or surrounding pericarp tissues is distinctly different between grasses and eudicots. However, little is known
about the evolutionary pattern of genes involved in sugar accumulation in these two major groups of flowering plants. Here, we compared evolutionary rates, gene duplication, and selective patterns of genes involved in sugar metabolism and transport between grasses and eudicots using six grass species and seven eudicotspecies as materials. Overall, sugar transporter genes exhibit divergent evolutionary patterns, whereas, sugar metabolism genes
showing similar evolutionary pattern between monocots and eudicots. Sugar transporter genes have higher frequencies of recent duplication in eudicots than in grasses and their patterns of evolutionary rate are different. Evidence for divergent selection of these two groups of flowering plants is also observed in sugar transporter genes, wherein, these genes have undergone positive selection in eudicots, but not in grasses. Taken together, these findings
suggest that sugar transporter genes rather than sugar metabolism genes play important roles in sugar accumulation in plants, and that divergent evolutionary patterns of sugar transporter genes are associated with the difference of sugar accumulation in storage tissues of grasses and eudicots.
Divergent Evolutionary Pattern of Sugar Transporter Genes is Associated with the Difference in Sugar Accumulation between Grasses and Eudicots
Sugars play a variety of roles in plants, and their accumulation in seeds and/or surrounding pericarp tissues is distinctly different between grasses and eudicots. However, little is known about the evolutionary pattern of genes involved in sugar accumulation in these two major
groups of flowering plants. Here, we compared evolutionary rates, gene duplication, and selective patterns of genes involved in sugar metabolism and transport between grasses and eudicots using six grass species and seven eudicotspecies as materials. Overall, sugar transporter genes exhibit divergent evolutionary patterns, whereas, sugar metabolism genes showing similar evolutionary pattern between monocots and eudicots. Sugar
transporter genes have higher frequencies of recent duplication in eudicots than in grasses and their patterns of evolutionary rate are different. Evidence for divergent selection of these two groups of flowering plants is also observed in sugar transporter genes, wherein, these genes have undergone positive selection in eudicots, but not in grasses. Taken together, these findings suggest that sugar transporter genes rather than sugar metabolism genes play important
roles in sugar accumulation in plants, and that divergent evolutionary patterns of sugar transporter genes are associated with the difference of sugar accumulation in storage tissues of grasses and eudicots. PMID:27356489
Fossil evidence for a herbaceous diversification of early eudicot angiosperms during the Early Cretaceous
PubMed Central
Jud, Nathan
A.
2015-01-01
Eudicot flowering plants comprise roughly 70% of land plant species diversity today, but their early evolution is not well understood. Fossil evidence has been largely restricted to their distinctive tricolpate pollen grains and this has limited our understanding of the ecological strategies that characterized their primary radiation. I describe megafossils of an Early Cretaceous eudicot from the Potomac Group in Maryland and Virginia,
USA that are complete enough to allow reconstruction of important life-history traits. I draw on quantitative and qualitative analysis of functional traits, phylogenetic analysis and sedimentological evidence to reconstruct the biology of this extinct species. These plants were small and locally rare but widespread, fast-growing herbs. They had complex leaves and they were colonizers of bright, wet, disturbance-prone habitats. Other early eudicot megafossils appear to
be herbaceous rather than woody, suggesting that this habit was characteristic of their primary radiation. A mostly herbaceous initial diversification of eudicots could simultaneously explain the heretofore sparse megafossil record as well as their rapid diversification during the Early Cretaceous because the angiosperm capacity for fast reproduction and fast evolution is best expressed in herbs. PMID:26336172
Fossil evidence for a herbaceous diversification of early eudicot angiosperms during the Early Cretaceous.
Expression patterns of STM-like KNOX and Histone H4 genes in shoot development of the dissected-leaved basaleudicot plants Chelidonium majus and Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae).
PubMed
Groot, Edwin P; Sinha, Neelima; Gleissberg, Stefan
2005-06-01
Knotted-like homeobox (KNOX) genes encode important regulators of shoot development in flowering plants. In Arabidopsis, class I KNOX genes are part of a regulatory system that contributes to indeterminacy of shoot development, delimitation of leaf primordia and internode development. In other species, class I KNOX genes have also been recruited in the control of marginal blastozone fractionation during
dissected leaf development. Here we report the isolation of class I KNOX genes from two species of the basaleudicot family Papaveraceae, Chelidonium majus and Eschscholzia californica. Sequence comparisons and expression patterns indicate that these genes are orthologs of SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), a class I KNOX gene from Arabidopsis. Both genes are expressed in the center of vegetative and floral shoot apical meristems (SAM), but downregulated at leaf or
floral organ initiating sites. While Eschscholzia californica STM (EcSTM) is again upregulated during acropetal pinna formation, in situ hybridization could not detect Chelidonium majus STM (CmSTM) transcripts at any stage of basipetal leaf development, indicating divergent evolution of STM gene function in leaves within Papaveraceae. Immunolocalization of KNOX proteins indicate that other gene family members may control leaf dissection in both species. The contrasting direction of
pinna initiation in the two species was also investigated using Histone H4 expression. Leaves at early stages of development did not reveal notable differences in cell division activity of the elongating leaf axis, suggesting that differential meristematic growth may not play a role in determining the observed dissection patterns.
Floral development of Berberidopsis beckleri - can an additional species of the Berberidopsidaceae add evidence to floral evolution in the core eudicots?
Unexpected Presence of Graminan- and Levan-Type Fructans in the Evergreen Frost-Hardy Eudicot Pachysandra terminalis (Buxaceae):
Purification, Cloning, and Functional Analysis of a 6-SST/6-SFT Enzyme1[W
PubMed Central
Van den Ende, Wim; Coopman, Marlies; Clerens, Stefan; Vergauwen, Rudy; Le Roy, Katrien; Lammens, Willem; Van Laere, André
2011-01-01
About 15% of flowering plants accumulate fructans. Inulin-type fructans with β(2,1) fructosyl linkages typically accumulate in the core eudicot
families (e.g. Asteraceae), while levan-type fructans with β(2,6) linkages and branched, graminan-type fructans with mixed linkages predominate in monocot families. Here, we describe the unexpected finding that graminan- and levan-type fructans, as typically occurring in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), also accumulate in Pachysandra terminalis, an evergreen, frost-hardy basaleudicotspecies. Part of the complex graminan- and
levan-type fructans as accumulating in vivo can be produced in vitro by a sucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase (6-SFT) enzyme with inherent sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST) and fructan 6-exohydrolase side activities. This enzyme produces a series of cereal-like graminan- and levan-type fructans from sucrose as a single substrate. The 6-SST/6-SFT enzyme was fully purified by classic column chromatography. In-gel trypsin digestion led to reverse transcription-polymerase chain
reaction-based cDNA cloning. The functionality of the 6-SST/6-SFT cDNA was demonstrated after heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. Both the recombinant and native enzymes showed rather similar substrate specificity characteristics, including peculiar temperature-dependent inherent 1-SST and fructan 6-exohydrolase side activities. The finding that cereal-type fructans accumulate in a basaleudicotspecies further confirms the polyphyletic origin of
fructan biosynthesis in nature. Our data suggest that the fructan syndrome in P. terminalis can be considered as a recent evolutionary event. Putative connections between abiotic stress and fructans are discussed. PMID:21037113
Two early eudicot fossil flowers from the Kamikitaba assemblage (Coniacian, Late Cretaceous) in
northeastern Japan
DOE PAGES
Takahashi, Masamichi; Herendeen, Patrick S.; Xiao, Xianghui
2017-05-11
Two new fossil taxa referable to the basaleudicot grade are described from the Kamikitaba locality (ca. 89 MYBP, early Coniacian: Late Cretaceous) in the Ashizawa Formation (Asamigawa Member) of Futaba Group in northeastern Japan. These charcoalified mesofossils exhibit
well-preserved three-dimensional structure and were analyzed using synchrotron-radiation X-ray microtomography (SRXTM) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to document the composition and internal structure. Cathiaria japonica sp. nov. is represented by infructescence segments that consist of an axis bearing three to four fruits. The capsular fruits are sessile and dehiscent and consist of a gynoecium subtended by a bract. No perianthmore » parts are present. The gynoecium is monocarpellate
containing two pendulous seeds. The carpel is ascidiate in the lower half and conduplicate in the upper part, style is deflected abaxially with a dorsiventral suture and a large, obliquely decurrent stigma. Pollen grains are tricolpate with a reticulate exine. The morphological features of Cathiaria are consistent with an assignment to the Buxaceae s. l. (including Didymelaceae). Archaeostella verticillata gen. et sp. nov. is represented by flowers that are small, actinomorphic, pedicellate,
bisexual, semi-inferior, and multicarpellate. The floral receptacle is cup shaped with a perigynous perianth consisting of several tepals inserted around the rim. The androecium comprises ca. 120 stamens with clear differentiation into anther and filament. The anthers are basifixed and tetrasporangiate. The gynoecium consists of a whorl of ten conduplicate, laterally connate but distally distinct carpels with a conspicuous dorsal bulge, including a central cavity. The styles are short, becoming
recurved with a ventrally decurrent stigma. The fruit type is a follicle. Seeds are ca. 10 per carpel, marginal, pendulous from the broad, oblique summit of the locule. Seeds are small, spindle-shaped, with a chalazal extension
Two early eudicot fossil flowers from the Kamikitaba assemblage
(Coniacian, Late Cretaceous) in northeastern Japan
SciTech Connect
Takahashi, Masamichi; Herendeen, Patrick S.; Xiao, Xianghui
Two new fossil taxa referable to the basaleudicot grade are described from the Kamikitaba locality (ca. 89 MYBP, early Coniacian: Late Cretaceous) in the Ashizawa Formation (Asamigawa Member) of Futaba Group in northeastern Japan. These charcoalified
mesofossils exhibit well-preserved three-dimensional structure and were analyzed using synchrotron-radiation X-ray microtomography (SRXTM) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to document the composition and internal structure. Cathiaria japonica sp. nov. is represented by infructescence segments that consist of an axis bearing three to four fruits. The capsular fruits are sessile and dehiscent and consist of a gynoecium subtended by a bract. No perianthmore » parts are present. The
gynoecium is monocarpellate containing two pendulous seeds. The carpel is ascidiate in the lower half and conduplicate in the upper part, style is deflected abaxially with a dorsiventral suture and a large, obliquely decurrent stigma. Pollen grains are tricolpate with a reticulate exine. The morphological features of Cathiaria are consistent with an assignment to the Buxaceae s. l. (including Didymelaceae). Archaeostella verticillata gen. et sp. nov. is represented by flowers that are small,
actinomorphic, pedicellate, bisexual, semi-inferior, and multicarpellate. The floral receptacle is cup shaped with a perigynous perianth consisting of several tepals inserted around the rim. The androecium comprises ca. 120 stamens with clear differentiation into anther and filament. The anthers are basifixed and tetrasporangiate. The gynoecium consists of a whorl of ten conduplicate, laterally connate but distally distinct carpels with a conspicuous dorsal bulge, including a central cavity. The
styles are short, becoming recurved with a ventrally decurrent stigma. The fruit type is a follicle. Seeds are ca. 10 per carpel, marginal, pendulous from the broad, oblique summit of the locule. Seeds are small, spindle-shaped, with a chalazal extension
Potomacapnos apeleutheron gen. et sp. nov., a new Early Cretaceous angiosperm from the Potomac Group and its implications for the evolution of eudicot leaf architecture.
PubMed
Jud, Nathan A; Hickey, Leo
J
2013-12-01
Eudicots diverged early in the evolution of flowering plants and now comprise more than 70% of angiosperm species. In spite of the importance of eudicots, our understanding of the early evolution of this clade is limited by a poor fossil record and uncertainty about the order of early phylogenetic branching. The study of Lower Cretaceous fossils can reveal much about the evolution, morphology, and ecology of the
eudicots. Fossils described here were collected from Aptian sediments of the Potomac Group exposed at the Dutch Gap locality in Virginia, USA. Specimens were prepared by degaging, then described and compared with leaves of relevant extant and fossil plants. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters using parsimony while constraining the tree search with the topology found through molecular phylogenetic analyses. The new species is closely related
to ranunculalean eudicots and has leaf architecture remarkably similar to some living Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae). These are the oldest eudicot megafossils from North America, and they show complex leaf architecture reflecting developmental pathways unique to extant eudicots. The morphology and small size of the fossils suggest that they were herbaceous plants, as is seen in other putative early eudicots. The absence of co-occurring tricolpate
pollen at Dutch Gap either (1) reflects low preservation probability for pollen of entomophilous herbs or (2) indicates that some leaf features of extant eudicots appeared before the origin of tricolpate pollen.
Genome-Wide
Analysis of PHOSPHOLIPID:DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE (PDAT) Genes in Plants Reveals the Eudicot-Wide PDAT Gene Expansion and Altered Selective Pressures Acting on the Core Eudicot PDAT Paralogs1[OPEN
PubMed Central
Pan, Xue; Peng, Fred Y.; Weselake, Randall J.
2015-01-01
PHOSPHOLIPID:DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE (PDAT) is an enzyme that catalyzes
the transfer of a fatty acyl moiety from the sn-2 position of a phospholipid to the sn-3-position of sn-1,2-diacylglyerol, thus forming triacylglycerol and a lysophospholipid. Although the importance of PDAT in triacylglycerol biosynthesis has been illustrated in some previous studies, the evolutionary relationship of plant PDATs has not been studied in detail. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary relationship of the PDAT gene family across the green plants using a comparative
phylogenetic framework. We found that the PDAT candidate genes are present in all examined green plants, including algae, lowland plants (a moss and a lycophyte), monocots, and eudicots. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the evolutionary division of the PDAT gene family into seven major clades. The separation is supported by the conservation and variation in the gene structure, protein properties, motif patterns, and/or selection constraints. We further demonstrated that there is a
eudicot-wide PDAT gene expansion, which appears to have been mainly caused by the eudicot-shared ancient gene duplication and subsequent species-specific segmental duplications. In addition, selection pressure analyses showed that different selection constraints have acted on three core eudicot clades, which might enable paleoduplicated PDAT paralogs to either become nonfunctionalized or develop divergent expression patterns during evolution.
Overall, our study provides important insights into the evolution of the plant PDAT gene family and explores the evolutionary mechanism underlying the functional diversification among the core eudicot PDAT paralogs. PMID:25585619
Resolution of deep eudicot phylogeny and their
temporal diversification using nuclear genes from transcriptomic and genomic datasets.
PubMed
Zeng, Liping; Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Qiang; Endress, Peter K; Huang, Jie; Ma, Hong
Leaf-Like Sepals Induced by Ectopic Expression of a SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP)-Like MADS-Box Gene from the BasalEudicot Epimedium sagittatum
PubMed Central
Li, Zhineng; Zeng, Shaohua; Li, Yanbang; Li, Mingyang; Souer, Erik
2016-01-01
Epimedium L. (Berberidaceae, Ranales), a perennial traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has become a new popular landscape plant for ground cover and pot culture in many countries based on its excellent ornamental characteristics and, distinctive and diverse floral morphology. However, little is known about
the molecular genetics of flower development in Epimedium sagittatum. Here, we describe the characterization of EsSVP that encodes a protein sharing 68, 54, and 35% similarity with SVP, AGAMOUS-like 24 (AGL24) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) in Arabidopsis, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) indicated that EsSVP transcripts were principally found in petiole and leaf tissues, with little expression in roots and flowers and no in fruits. The highest EsSVP expression
was observed in leaves. The flowering time of 35S::EsSVP in most Arabidopsis thaliana and in all petunia plants was not affected in both photoperiod conditions, but 35S::EsSVP 5# and 35S::EsSVP 1# Arabidopsis lines induced late and early flowering under long day (LD, 14 h light/10 h dark) and short day (SD, 10 h light/14 h dark) conditions, respectively. The 35S::EsSVP Arabidopsis produced extra secondary inflorescence or floral meristems in the axils of the leaf-like sepals with excrescent
trichomes, and leaf-like sepals not able to enclose the inner three whorls completely. Moreover, almost all transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed persistent sepals around the completely matured fruits. Upon ectopic expression of 35S::EsSVP in Petunia W115, sepals were enlarged, sometimes to the size of leaves; corollas were greenish and did not fully open. These results suggest that EsSVP is involved in inflorescence meristem identity and flowering time regulation in some conditions. Although,
the SVP homologs might have suffered functional diversification among diverse species between core and basaleudicots, the protein functions are conserved between Arabidopsis/Petunia and Epimedium
Partial redundancy and functional specialization of E-class SEPALLATA
genes in an early-diverging eudicot.
PubMed
Soza, Valerie L; Snelson, Corey D; Hewett Hazelton, Kristen D; Di Stilio, Verónica S
2016-11-01
Plant MADS-box genes have duplicated extensively, allegedly contributing to the immense diversity of floral form in angiosperms. In Arabidopsis thaliana (a core eudicot model plant), four SEPALLATA (SEP) genes
comprise the E-class from the extended ABCE model of flower development. They are redundantly involved in the development of the four types of floral organs (sepals, petals, stamens and carpels) and in floral meristem determinacy. E-class genes have been examined in other core eudicots and monocots, but have been less investigated in non-core eudicots. Our goal was to functionally characterize the E-class genes in the early-diverging eudicot Thalictrum
thalictroides (Ranunculaceae), whose flowers are apetalous. We identified four SEP orthologs, which when placed in a phylogenetic context, resulted from a major gene duplication event before the origin of angiosperms and a subsequent duplication at the origin of the Ranunculales. We used Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) to down-regulate the three expressed paralogs individually and in combination to investigate their function and to determine the degree of conservation versus divergence of
this important plant transcription factor. All loci were partially redundant in sepal and stamen identity and in promoting petaloidy of sepals, yet the SEP3 ortholog had a more pronounced role in carpel identity and development. The two other paralogs appear to have subfunctionalized in their cadastral roles to keep the boundaries between either sepal and stamen zones or stamen and carpel zones. Double knockdowns had enhanced phenotypes and the triple knockdown had an even more severe phenotype
that included partial to complete homeotic conversion of stamens and carpels to sepaloid organs and green sepals, highlighting a role of E-class genes in petaloidy of sepals in this species. While no floral meristem determinacy defects were observed, this could be due to residual amounts of gene expression in the VIGS experiments
Specific duplication and dorsoventrally asymmetric expression patterns of Cycloidea-like genes in zygomorphic species of Ranunculaceae.
Floral bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) has evolved several times independently in angiosperms from radially symmetrical (actinomorphic) ancestral states. Homologs of the Antirrhinum majus Cycloidea gene (Cyc) have been shown to control floral symmetry in diverse groups in core eudicots. In the basaleudicot family Ranunculaceae, there is a single evolutionary transition from
actinomorphy to zygomorphy in the stem lineage of the tribe Delphinieae. We characterized Cyc homologs in 18 genera of Ranunculaceae, including the four genera of Delphinieae, in a sampling that represents the floral morphological diversity of this tribe, and reconstructed the evolutionary history of this gene family in Ranunculaceae. Within each of the two RanaCyL (Ranunculaceae Cycloidea-like) lineages previously identified, an additional duplication possibly predating the emergence of the
Delphinieae was found, resulting in up to four gene copies in zygomorphic species. Expression analyses indicate that the RanaCyL paralogs are expressed early in floral buds and that the duration of their expression varies between species and paralog class. At most one RanaCyL paralog was expressed during the late stages of floral development in the actinomorphic species studied whereas all paralogs from the zygomorphic species were expressed,
composing a species-specific identity code for perianth organs. The contrasted asymmetric patterns of expression observed in the two zygomorphic species is discussed in relation to their distinct perianth architecture.
Specific Duplication and Dorsoventrally Asymmetric Expression Patterns of Cycloidea-Like Genes in Zygomorphic Species of Ranunculaceae
Floral bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) has evolved several times independently in angiosperms from radially symmetrical (actinomorphic) ancestral states. Homologs of the Antirrhinum majus Cycloidea gene (Cyc) have been shown to control floral symmetry in diverse groups in core eudicots. In the basaleudicot
family Ranunculaceae, there is a single evolutionary transition from actinomorphy to zygomorphy in the stem lineage of the tribe Delphinieae. We characterized Cyc homologs in 18 genera of Ranunculaceae, including the four genera of Delphinieae, in a sampling that represents the floral morphological diversity of this tribe, and reconstructed the evolutionary history of this gene family in Ranunculaceae. Within each of the two RanaCyL (Ranunculaceae Cycloidea-like) lineages previously identified,
an additional duplication possibly predating the emergence of the Delphinieae was found, resulting in up to four gene copies in zygomorphic species. Expression analyses indicate that the RanaCyL paralogs are expressed early in floral buds and that the duration of their expression varies between species and paralog class. At most one RanaCyL paralog was expressed during the late stages of floral development in the actinomorphic species studied whereas all
paralogs from the zygomorphic species were expressed, composing a species-specific identity code for perianth organs. The contrasted asymmetric patterns of expression observed in the two zygomorphic species is discussed in relation to their distinct perianth architecture. PMID:24752428
Identifying the species of bats roosting in redwood basal hollows using genetic methods
Treesearch
William J. Zielinski; Mary Jo Mazurek; Jan Zinck
2007-01-01
Bats frequently use
basal hollows in trees to gain access to interior roost sites but it has been challenging to verify which species do so because it is difficult to capture bats or identify bats using acoustic methods at these locations. We employed noninvasive genetic sampling of guano to identify the species of bats that use basal hollows in redwood (...
The evolution of floral biology in basal angiosperms
PubMed Central
Endress, Peter K.
2010-01-01
In basal
angiosperms (including ANITA grade, magnoliids, Choranthaceae, Ceratophyllaceae) almost all bisexual flowers are dichogamous (with male and female functions more or less separated in time), and nearly 100 per cent of those are protogynous (with female function before male function). Movements of floral parts and differential early abscission of stamens in the male phase are variously associated with protogyny. Evolution of synchronous dichogamy based on the day/night rhythm and anthesis lasting
2 days is common. In a few clades in Magnoliales and Laurales heterodichogamy has also evolved. Beetles, flies and thrips are the major pollinators, with various degrees of specialization up to large beetles and special flies in some large-flowered Nymphaeaceae, Magnoliaceae, Annonaceae and Aristolochiaceae. Unusual structural specializations are involved in floral biological adaptations (calyptras, inner staminodes, synandria and food bodies, and secretory structures on tepals, stamens and
staminodes). Numerous specializations that are common in monocots and eudicots are absent in basal angiosperms. Several families are poorly known in their floral biology. PMID:20047868
Large-Scale Gene Relocations following an Ancient Genome Triplication Associated with the
Diversification of Core Eudicots.
PubMed
Wang, Yupeng; Ficklin, Stephen P; Wang, Xiyin; Feltus, F Alex; Paterson, Andrew H
2016-01-01
Different modes of gene duplication including whole-genome duplication (WGD), and tandem, proximal and dispersed duplications are widespread in angiosperm genomes. Small-scale, stochastic gene relocations and transposed gene
duplications are widely accepted to be the primary mechanisms for the creation of dispersed duplicates. However, here we show that most surviving ancient dispersed duplicates in core eudicots originated from large-scale gene relocations within a narrow window of time following a genome triplication (γ) event that occurred in the stem lineage of core eudicots. We name these surviving ancient dispersed duplicates as relocated γ duplicates. In Arabidopsis thaliana,
relocated γ, WGD and single-gene duplicates have distinct features with regard to gene functions, essentiality, and protein interactions. Relative to γ duplicates, relocated γ duplicates have higher non-synonymous substitution rates, but comparable levels of expression and regulation divergence. Thus, relocated γ duplicates should be distinguished from WGD and single-gene duplicates for evolutionary investigations. Our results suggest large-scale gene relocations following the γ event were
associated with the diversification of core eudicots.
Large-Scale Gene Relocations following an Ancient Genome Triplication Associated with the Diversification of Core Eudicots
PubMed Central
Wang, Yupeng; Ficklin, Stephen P.; Wang, Xiyin; Feltus, F. Alex; Paterson, Andrew H.
2016-01-01
Different modes of gene duplication including whole-genome duplication (WGD), and tandem, proximal and dispersed duplications are widespread in angiosperm genomes. Small-scale, stochastic gene relocations and transposed gene duplications are widely accepted to be the primary mechanisms for
the creation of dispersed duplicates. However, here we show that most surviving ancient dispersed duplicates in core eudicots originated from large-scale gene relocations within a narrow window of time following a genome triplication (γ) event that occurred in the stem lineage of core eudicots. We name these surviving ancient dispersed duplicates as relocated γ duplicates. In Arabidopsis thaliana, relocated γ, WGD and single-gene duplicates have distinct features with
regard to gene functions, essentiality, and protein interactions. Relative to γ duplicates, relocated γ duplicates have higher non-synonymous substitution rates, but comparable levels of expression and regulation divergence. Thus, relocated γ duplicates should be distinguished from WGD and single-gene duplicates for evolutionary investigations. Our results suggest large-scale gene relocations following the γ event were associated with the diversification of core eudicots.
PMID:27195960
Basal area growth for 15 tropical tree species in Puerto Rico
Treesearch
Bernard R. Parresol
1995-01-01
The tabonuco forests of Puerto Rico support a diverse
population of tree species valued for timber, fuel, food, wildlife food and cover, and erosion control among other uses. Tree basal area growth data spanning 39 years are available on 15 species from eight permanent plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. The complexity of the rain forest challenges current...
The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor family in the sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Nelumbo
nucifera (Sacred Lotus) is a basaleudicot with exceptional physiological and metabolic properties including seed longevity, adaptations for an aquatic habit, and floral thermiogenesis. It also occupies a unique position in the phylogeny of land plants and can be a useful species for studies...
Hydraulic conductance and the maintenance of water balance in flowers.
Basal area growth for 15 tropical trees species in Puerto Rico. Forest
Treesearch
B. R. Parresol
1995-01-01
The tabonuco forest of Puerto Rico support a diverse population of tree
species valued for timber, fuel, food, wildlife food and cover, and erosion control among other use. tree basal area growth data spanning 39 years are avaible on 15 species from eigth permanent plots in Luquillo Experimental Forest. The complexity of the rain forest challeges current forest...
The concept of the eudicot shoot apical meristem as it applies to four Spiraea (Rosaceae), one Mentha (Lamiaceae) and one Euonymus (Celastraceae) cultivars based on chimeric analysis.
PubMed
Korn, Robert
W
2013-05-01
Eversporting eudicots were sought to see if they behave like gymnosperms. Behaviour of eversporting gymnosperm chimeras indicates a single apical cell is present in SAM and it would be of interest to see if eudicot chimeras have the same behaviour. Four eversporting spireas, the pineapple mint and the Silver King euonymus were inspected for the fate of the yellow (mutant)-green (wild type) chimeras. As with gymnosperms, unstable
eudicot chimeras in the four spireas, the pineapple mint and the Silver King euonymus became stable yellow about 80 % or more of the time and 20 % or less became stable green. The statistically significant preponderance of chimeric fates becoming all yellow suggests that a single apical cell resides in the yellow tunica. As with gymnosperms, descendent cells of the yellow replacement corpus cell eventually take over the corpus. Here is the first chimeric set of data to support the
hypothesis of a one-celled meristem in eudicots rather than the traditional view of a muticellular meristem.
Differential freezing resistance and photoprotection in C3 and C4 eudicots and grasses
PubMed Central
Liu, Mei-Zhen; Osborne, Colin P.
2013-01-01
Globally, C4 plants dominate hot, open environments, but this general pattern is underpinned by important differences in the biogeography of C4 lineages. In particular, the species richness of C4 Poaceae (grasses) increases strongly with increasing temperature, whereas that of the major C4 eudicot group
Chenopodiaceae correlates positively with aridity. Freezing tolerance is a crucial determinant of biogeographical relationships with temperature and is mediated by photodamage and cellular disruption by desiccation, but little is known about differences between C4 families. This study hypothesized that there is a greater risk of freezing damage via these mechanisms in C4 Poaceae than Chenopodiaceae, that freezing protection differs between the taxonomic groups, and that freezing tolerance of
species is linked to arid habitat preference. Chlorophyll fluorescence, water relations, and freezing injury were compared in four C3 and six C4 species of Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae from the same Mongolian flora. Contrary to expectations, freezing-induced leaf mortality and photodamage were lower in Poaceae than Chenopodiaceae species, and unrelated to photosynthetic pathway. The freezing resistance of Poaceae species resulted from
constitutive protection and cold acclimation and an ability to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage. Freezing protection was associated with low osmotic potential and low tissue elasticity, and freezing damage was accompanied by electrolyte leakage, consistent with cell-membrane disruption by ice. Both Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae had the potential to develop cold acclimation and withstand freezing during the growing season, which conflicted with the hypothesis. Instead, freezing
tolerance was more closely associated with life history and ecological preference in these Mongolian species. PMID:23599273
The concept of the eudicot shoot apical meristem as it applies to four Spiraea
(Rosaceae), one Mentha (Lamiaceae) and one Euonymus (Celastraceae) cultivars based on chimeric analysis
PubMed Central
Korn, Robert W.
2013-01-01
Background and Aims Eversporting eudicots were sought to see if they behave like gymnosperms. Behaviour of eversporting gymnosperm chimeras indicates a single apical cell is present in SAM and it would be of interest to see
if eudicot chimeras have the same behaviour. Methods Four eversporting spireas, the pineapple mint and the Silver King euonymus were inspected for the fate of the yellow (mutant)–green (wild type) chimeras. Key Results As with gymnosperms, unstable eudicot chimeras in the four spireas, the pineapple mint and the Silver King euonymus became stable yellow about 80 % or more of the time and 20 % or less became stable green. Conclusions The statistically significant
preponderance of chimeric fates becoming all yellow suggests that a single apical cell resides in the yellow tunica. As with gymnosperms, descendent cells of the yellow replacement corpus cell eventually take over the corpus. Here is the first chimeric set of data to support the hypothesis of a one-celled meristem in eudicots rather than the traditional view of a muticellular meristem. PMID:23482330
Anatomical aspects of angiosperm root evolution
PubMed Central
Seago, James L.; Fernando, Danilo D.
2013-01-01
Background and Aims
Anatomy had been one of the foundations in our understanding of plant evolutionary trends and, although recent evo-devo concepts are mostly based on molecular genetics, classical structural information remains useful as ever. Of the various plant organs, the roots have been the least studied, primarily because of the difficulty in obtaining materials, particularly from large woody species. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview of the information that has accumulated on
the anatomy of angiosperm roots and to present possible evolutionary trends between representatives of the major angiosperm clades. Scope This review covers an overview of the various aspects of the evolutionary origin of the root. The results and discussion focus on angiosperm root anatomy and evolution covering representatives from basal angiosperms, magnoliids, monocots and eudicots. We use information from the literature as well as new data from our own research.
Key Findings The organization of the root apical meristem (RAM) of Nymphaeales allows for the ground meristem and protoderm to be derived from the same group of initials, similar to those of the monocots, whereas in Amborellales, magnoliids and eudicots, it is their protoderm and lateral rootcap which are derived from the same group of initials. Most members of Nymphaeales are similar to monocots in having ephemeral primary roots and so adventitious roots predominate, whereas
Amborellales, Austrobaileyales, magnoliids and eudicots are generally characterized by having primary roots that give rise to a taproot system. Nymphaeales and monocots often have polyarch (heptarch or more) steles, whereas the rest of the basal angiosperms, magnoliids and eudicots usually have diarch to hexarch steles. Conclusions Angiosperms exhibit highly varied structural patterns in RAM organization; cortex, epidermis and rootcap origins; and stele
patterns. Generally, however, Amborellales, magnoliids and, possibly
Predicting tree species presence and basal area in Utah: A comparison of stochastic gradient boosting, generalized additive models, and tree-based methods
Many efforts are underway to produce broad-scale forest attribute maps by modelling forest class and structure variables collected in forest inventories as functions of satellite-based and biophysical information. Typically, variants of classification and regression
trees implemented in Rulequest's?? See5 and Cubist (for binary and continuous responses, respectively) are the tools of choice in many of these applications. These tools are widely used in large remote sensing applications, but are not easily interpretable, do not have ties with survey estimation methods, and use proprietary unpublished algorithms. Consequently, three alternative modelling techniques were compared for mapping presence and basal area of 13 species
located in the mountain ranges of Utah, USA. The modelling techniques compared included the widely used See5/Cubist, generalized additive models (GAMs), and stochastic gradient boosting (SGB). Model performance was evaluated using independent test data sets. Evaluation criteria for mapping species presence included specificity, sensitivity, Kappa, and area under the curve (AUC). Evaluation criteria for the continuous basal area variables included correlation and
relative mean squared error. For predicting species presence (setting thresholds to maximize Kappa), SGB had higher values for the majority of the species for specificity and Kappa, while GAMs had higher values for the majority of the species for sensitivity. In evaluating resultant AUC values, GAM and/or SGB models had significantly better results than the See5 models where significant differences could be detected between models. For nine out of 13
species, basal area prediction results for all modelling techniques were poor (correlations less than 0.5 and relative mean squared errors greater than 0.8), but SGB provided the most stable predictions in these instances. SGB and Cubist performed equally well for modelling basal area for three species with moderate prediction success
Utility of 17 chloroplast genes for inferring the phylogeny of the basal angiosperms.
PubMed
Graham, S W; Olmstead, R G
2000-11-01
Sequences from 14 slowly evolving chloroplast genes
(including three highly conserved introns) were obtained for representative basal angiosperm and seed-plant taxa, using novel primers described here. These data were combined with published sequences from atpB, rbcL, and newly obtained sequences from ndhF. Combined data from these 17 genes permit sturdy, well-resolved inference of major aspects of basal angiosperm relationships, demonstrating that the new primers are valuable tools for sorting out the deepest events in
flowering plant phylogeny. Sequences from the inverted repeat (IR) proved to be particularly reliable (low homoplasy, high retention index). Representatives of Cabomba and Illicium were the first two successive branches of the angiosperms in an initial sampling of 19 exemplar taxa. This result was strongly supported by bootstrap analysis and by two small insertion/deletion events in the slowly evolving introns. Several paleoherb groups (representatives of Piperales) formed a strongly supported
clade with taxa representing core woody magnoliids (Laurales, Magnoliales, and Winteraceae). The monophyly of the sampled eudicots and monocots was also well supported. Analyses of three major partitions of the data showed many of the same clades and supported the rooting seen with all the data combined. While Amborella trichopoda was supported as the sister group of the remaining angiosperms when we added Amborella and Nymphaea odorata to the analysis, a strongly conflicting
rooting was observed when Amborella alone was added.
Eudicot plant-specific sphingolipids determine host selectivity of microbial NLP cytolysins.
Evolution of fruit development genes in flowering plants
PubMed Central
Pabón-Mora, Natalia; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Ambrose, Barbara A.
2014-01-01
The genetic mechanisms regulating dry fruit development and opercular dehiscence have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the bicarpellate silique, valve elongation and differentiation is controlled by FRUITFULL (FUL) that antagonizes SHATTERPROOF1-2 (SHP1/SHP2) and INDEHISCENT (IND) at the dehiscence zone where they control normal lignification. SHP1/2 are also repressed by REPLUMLESS (RPL), responsible for replum formation. Similarly, FUL indirectly controls two other factors
ALCATRAZ (ALC) and SPATULA (SPT) that function in the proper formation of the separation layer. FUL and SHP1/2 belong to the MADS-box family, IND and ALC belong to the bHLH family and RPL belongs to the homeodomain family, all of which are large transcription factor families. These families have undergone numerous duplications and losses in plants, likely accompanied by functional changes. Functional analyses of homologous genes suggest that this network is fairly conserved in Brassicaceae and
less conserved in other core eudicots. Only the MADS box genes have been functionally characterized in basaleudicots and suggest partial conservation of the functions recorded for Brassicaceae. Here we do a comprehensive search of SHP, IND, ALC, SPT, and RPL homologs across core-eudicots, basaleudicots, monocots and basal angiosperms. Based on gene-tree analyses we hypothesize what parts of the network
for fruit development in Brassicaceae, in particular regarding direct and indirect targets of FUL, might be conserved across angiosperms. PMID:25018763
Root structure-function relationships in 74 species: evidence of a root economics spectrum related to carbon economy.
Pathogen perception by plants is mediated by plasma membrane-localized immune receptors that have varied extracellular domains. Lectin receptor kinases (LecRKs) are among these receptors and are subdivided into 3 classes, C-type LecRKs (C-LecRKs), L-type LecRKs (L-LecRKs) and G-type LecRKs (G-LecRKs). While C-LecRKs are represented by one or two members in all plant species investigated and have unknown functions, L-LecRKs have been characterized in a few plant
species and have been shown to play roles in plant defense against pathogens. Whereas Arabidopsis G-LecRKs have been characterized, this family of LecRKs has not been studied in tomato. This investigation updates the current characterization of Arabidopsis G-LecRKs and characterizes the tomato G-LecRKs, using LecRKs from the monocot rice and the basaleudicot columbine to establish a basis for comparisons between the two core eudicots.
Additionally, revisiting parameters established for Arabidopsis nomenclature for LecRKs is suggested for both Arabidopsis and tomato. Moreover, using phylogenetic analysis, we show the relationship among and between members of G-LecRKs from all three eudicot plant species. Furthermore, investigating presence of motifs in G-LecRKs we identified conserved motifs among members of G-LecRKs in tomato and Arabidopsis, with five present in at least 30 of the 38 Arabidopsis
members and in at least 45 of the 73 tomato members. This work characterized tomato G-LecRKs and added members to the currently characterized Arabidopsis G-LecRKs. Additionally, protein sequence analysis showed an expansion of this family in tomato as compared to Arabidopsis, and the existence of conserved common motifs in the two plant species as well as conserved species-specific motifs.
Effect of litter, leaf cover and cover of basal internodes of the dominant species Molinia caerulea on seedling recruitment and established vegetation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Janeček,
Štěpán; Lepš, Jan
2005-09-01
The effects of litter removal, leaf cover of established plants and cover of basal internodes of a dominant species Molinia caerulea on seedling germination and the dynamics of established plants were studied in a field experiment in an oligotrophic wet meadow. Although the negative influence of litter on total seedling number and seedling species composition was non-significant, litter significantly affected the
dynamics of the established vegetation and caused inhibition of total leaf cover development. The effects of total leaf cover of established plants on seedling establishment changed during the vegetation season. Whereas the effect of total leaf cover was positive at the start and in the middle of the vegetation season, at the end the total leaf cover negatively affected seedling establishment. Both total leaf cover and cover of basal internodes affected seedling composition. Effects
of these two variables were statistically separable suggesting that they are based on different mechanisms. The response of seedling establishment to these factors was species specific and, consequently, our data support the hypothesis that that biotically generated spatial heterogeneity can promote species co-existence through the differentiation of species regeneration niches.
Evolving Ideas on the Origin and Evolution of Flowers: New Perspectives in the Genomic Era
PubMed Central
Chanderbali, Andre S.; Berger, Brent A.;
Howarth, Dianella G.; Soltis, Pamela S.; Soltis, Douglas E.
2016-01-01
The origin of the flower was a key innovation in the history of complex organisms, dramatically altering Earth’s biota. Advances in phylogenetics, developmental genetics, and genomics during the past 25 years have substantially advanced our understanding of the evolution of flowers, yet crucial aspects of floral evolution remain, such as the series of genetic and morphological changes that gave rise to the first
flowers; the factors enabling the origin of the pentamerous eudicot flower, which characterizes ∼70% of all extant angiosperm species; and the role of gene and genome duplications in facilitating floral innovations. A key early concept was the ABC model of floral organ specification, developed by Elliott Meyerowitz and Enrico Coen and based on two model systems, Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus. Yet it is now clear that these model systems are highly derived
species, whose molecular genetic-developmental organization must be very different from that of ancestral, as well as early, angiosperms. In this article, we will discuss how new research approaches are illuminating the early events in floral evolution and the prospects for further progress. In particular, advancing the next generation of research in floral evolution will require the development of one or more functional model systems from among the basal angiosperms
and basaleudicots. More broadly, we urge the development of “model clades” for genomic and evolutionary-developmental analyses, instead of the primary use of single “model organisms.” We predict that new evolutionary models will soon emerge as genetic/genomic models, providing unprecedented new insights into floral evolution. PMID:27053123
Influence of certain forces on evolution of synonymous codon usage bias in certain species of three basal orders of aquatic insects.
PubMed
Selva Kumar, C; Nair, Rahul R; Sivaramakrishnan, K
G; Ganesh, D; Janarthanan, S; Arunachalam, M; Sivaruban, T
2012-12-01
Forces that influence the evolution of synonymous codon usage bias are analyzed in six species of three basal orders of aquatic insects. The rationale behind choosing six species of aquatic insects (three from Ephemeroptera, one from Plecoptera, and two from Odonata) for the present analysis is based on phylogenetic position at the basal clades of the Order
Insecta facilitating the understanding of the evolution of codon bias and of factors shaping codon usage patterns in primitive clades of insect lineages and their subtle differences in some of their ecological and environmental requirements in terms of habitat-microhabitat requirements, altitudinal preferences, temperature tolerance ranges, and consequent responses to climate change impacts. The present analysis focuses on open reading frames of the 13 protein-coding genes in the mitochondrial
genome of six carefully chosen insect species to get a comprehensive picture of the evolutionary intricacies of codon bias. In all the six species, A and T contents are observed to be significantly higher than G and C, and are used roughly equally. Since transcription hypothesis on codon usage demands A richness and T poorness, it is quite likely that mutation pressure may be the key factor associated with synonymous codon usage (SCU) variations in these
species because the mutation hypothesis predicts AT richness and GC poorness in the mitochondrial DNA. Thus, AT-biased mutation pressure seems to be an important factor in framing the SCU variation in all the selected species of aquatic insects, which in turn explains the predominance of A and T ending codons in these species. This study does not find any association between microhabitats and codon usage variations in the mitochondria of selected aquatic
insects. However, this study has identified major forces, such as compositional constraints and mutation pressure, which shape patterns of codon usage in mitochondrial genes in the primitive clades of insect lineages.
MicroRNA
Superfamilies Descended from miR390 and Their Roles in Secondary Small Interfering RNA Biogenesis in Eudicots[W
PubMed Central
Xia, Rui; Meyers, Blake C.; Liu, Zhongchi; Beers, Eric P.; Ye, Songqing; Liu, Zongrang
2013-01-01
Trans-acting small interfering RNAs (tasiRNAs) are a major class of small RNAs performing essential biological functions in plants. The first
reported tasiRNA pathway, that of miR173-TAS1/2, produces tasiRNAs regulating a set of pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) genes and has been characterized only in Arabidopsis thaliana to date. Here, we demonstrate that the microRNA (miRNA)-trans-acting small interfering RNA gene (TAS)-pentatricopeptide repeat-containing gene (PPR)-small interfering RNA pathway is a highly dynamic and widespread feature of eudicots. Nine eudicot plants, representing six different plant
families, have evolved similar tasiRNA pathways to initiate phased small interfering RNA (phasiRNA) production from PPR genes. The PPR phasiRNA production is triggered by different 22-nucleotide miRNAs, including miR7122, miR1509, and fve-PPRtri1/2, and through distinct mechanistic strategies exploiting miRNA direct targeting or indirect targeting through TAS-like genes (TASL), one-hit or two-hit, or even two layers of tasiRNA–TASL interactions. Intriguingly, although those miRNA triggers
display high sequence divergence caused by the occurrence of frequent point mutations and splicing shifts, their corresponding MIRNA genes show pronounced identity to the Arabidopsis MIR173, implying a common origin of this group of miRNAs (super-miR7122). Further analyses reveal that super-miR7122 may have evolved from a newly defined miR4376 superfamily, which probably originated from the widely conserved miR390. The elucidation of this evolutionary path expands our understanding of the course
of miRNA evolution, especially for relatively conserved miRNA families. PMID:23695981
A comparative study of basal metabolism and thermoregulation in a folivorous (Colobus guereza) and an omnivorous (Cercopithecus mitis) primate species.
PubMed
Müller, E F; Kamau, J M; Maloiy, G M
1983-01-01
1. Abdominal temperatures (Tab) and oxygen consumption (VO2) were measured in two males each of colobus and Sykes monkeys. 2. Tab in both species had the same range (36 38.5 C), but there were marked differences in the daily rhythms. 3. Low ambient temperatures (Ta) had little effect on Tab; at Ta = 33.5 35.5 C. however, Tab
rose quickly to above 40 C. 4. The thermoneutral zone (TNZ) extended from about 5 to 28 C in both species. 5. In the colobus monkeys the basal metabolic rate (BMR) was considerably lower than in the Sykes monkeys: 85% vs 113% of the value predicted from body mass.
A local
basal area adjustment for crown width prediction
Treesearch
Don C. Bragg
2001-01-01
Nonlinear crown width regressive equations were developed for 24 species common to the upper Lake States of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Of the species surveyed, 15 produced statistically significant (P 0.05) local basal area effect coefficients showing a
reduction in crown...
TIR-NBS-LRR genes are rare in monocots: evidence from diverse monocot orders
PubMed Central
Tarr, D Ellen K;
Alexander, Helen M
2009-01-01
Background Plant resistance (R) gene products recognize pathogen effector molecules. Many R genes code for proteins containing nucleotide binding site (NBS) and C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains. NBS-LRR proteins can be divided into two groups, TIR-NBS-LRR and non-TIR-NBS-LRR, based on the structure of the N-terminal domain. Although both classes are clearly present in gymnosperms and eudicots, only non-TIR sequences have been
found consistently in monocots. Since most studies in monocots have been limited to agriculturally important grasses, it is difficult to draw conclusions. The purpose of our study was to look for evidence of these sequences in additional monocot orders. Findings Using degenerate PCR, we amplified NBS sequences from four monocot species (C. blanda, D. marginata, S. trifasciata, and Spathiphyllum sp.), a gymnosperm (C. revoluta) and a eudicot (C. canephora). We
successfully amplified TIR-NBS-LRR sequences from dicot and gymnosperm DNA, but not from monocot DNA. Using databases, we obtained NBS sequences from additional monocots, magnoliids and basal angiosperms. TIR-type sequences were not present in monocot or magnoliid sequences, but were present in the basal angiosperms. Phylogenetic analysis supported a single TIR clade and multiple non-TIR clades. Conclusion We were unable to find monocot TIR-NBS-LRR sequences by PCR
amplification or database searches. In contrast to previous studies, our results represent five monocot orders (Poales, Zingiberales, Arecales, Asparagales, and Alismatales). Our results establish the presence of TIR-NBS-LRR sequences in basal angiosperms and suggest that although these sequences were present in early land plants, they have been reduced significantly in monocots and magnoliids. PMID:19785756
Learning and memory functions of the Basal Ganglia.
PubMed
Packard, Mark G; Knowlton, Barbara J
2002-01-01
Although the mammalian basal ganglia have long been implicated in motor
behavior, it is generally recognized that the behavioral functions of this subcortical group of structures are not exclusively motoric in nature. Extensive evidence now indicates a role for the basal ganglia, in particular the dorsal striatum, in learning and memory. One prominent hypothesis is that this brain region mediates a form of learning in which stimulus-response (S-R) associations or habits are incrementally acquired. Support for this hypothesis is provided by numerous
neurobehavioral studies in different mammalian species, including rats, monkeys, and humans. In rats and monkeys, localized brain lesion and pharmacological approaches have been used to examine the role of the basal ganglia in S-R learning. In humans, study of patients with neurodegenerative diseases that compromise the basal ganglia, as well as research using brain neuroimaging techniques, also provide evidence of a role for the basal ganglia
in habit learning. Several of these studies have dissociated the role of the basal ganglia in S-R learning from those of a cognitive or declarative medial temporal lobe memory system that includes the hippocampus as a primary component. Evidence suggests that during learning, basal ganglia and medial temporal lobe memory systems are activated simultaneously and that in some learning situations competitive interference exists between these two systems.
Genome and transcriptome sequencing characterises the gene space of Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae).
PubMed
Nock, Catherine J; Baten, Abdul; Barkla, Bronwyn J; Furtado, Agnelo; Henry, Robert J; King, Graham J
2016-11-17
The large Gondwanan plant family Proteaceae is an early-diverging eudicot lineage renowned for its morphological, taxonomic and ecological diversity. Macadamia is the most economically important Proteaceae crop and represents an ancient rainforest-restricted lineage. The family is a focus for studies of adaptive radiation due to remarkable species diversification in Mediterranean-climate biodiversity hotspots, and numerous evolutionary transitions
between biomes. Despite a long history of research, comparative analyses in the Proteaceae and macadamia breeding programs are restricted by a paucity of genetic information. To address this, we sequenced the genome and transcriptome of the widely grown Macadamia integrifolia cultivar 741. Over 95 gigabases of DNA and RNA-seq sequence data were de novo assembled and annotated. The draft assembly has a total length of 518 Mb and spans approximately 79% of the estimated genome size. Following
annotation, 35,337 protein-coding genes were predicted of which over 90% were expressed in at least one of the leaf, shoot or flower tissues examined. Gene family comparisons with five other eudicotspecies revealed 13,689 clusters containing macadamia genes and 1005 macadamia-specific clusters, and provides evidence for linage-specific expansion of gene families involved in pathogen recognition, plant defense and monoterpene synthesis. Cyanogenesis is an important
defense strategy in the Proteaceae, and a detailed analysis of macadamia gene homologues potentially involved in cyanogenic glycoside biosynthesis revealed several highly expressed candidate genes. The gene space of macadamia provides a foundation for comparative genomics, gene discovery and the acceleration of molecular-assisted breeding. This study presents the first available genomic resources for the large basaleudicot family Proteaceae, access to most macadamia
genes and opportunities to uncover the genetic basis of traits of importance for adaptation and crop
Survey of the occurrence of desiccation-induced quenching of basal fluorescence in 28 species of green microalgae.
PubMed
Wieners, Paul Christian; Mudimu, Opayi; Bilger, Wolfgang
2018-05-30
Desiccation-induced chlorophyll fluorescence quenching seems to be an indispensable part of desiccation resistance in the surveyed 28 green microalgal species. Lichens are desiccation tolerant meta-organisms. In the desiccated state photosynthesis is inhibited rendering the photobionts potentially sensitive
to photoinhibition. As a photoprotective mechanism, strong non-radiative dissipation of absorbed light leading to quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence has been proposed. Desiccation-induced quenching affects not only variable fluorescence, but also the so-called basal fluorescence, F 0 . This phenomenon is well-known for intact lichens and some free living aero-terrestrial algae, but it was often absent in isolated lichen algae. Therefore, a thorough screening for the appearance of
desiccation-induced quenching was undertaken with 13 different aero-terrestrial microalgal species and lichen photobionts. They were compared with 15 aquatic green microalgal species, among them also three marine species. We asked the following questions: Do isolated lichen algae show desiccation-induced quenching? Are aero-terrestrial algae different in this respect to aquatic algae and is the potential for desiccation-induced quenching coupled to
desiccation tolerance? How variable is desiccation-induced quenching among species? Most of the aero-terrestrial algae, including all lichen photobionts, showed desiccation-induced quenching, although highly variable in extent, whereas most of the aquatic algae did not. All algae displaying quenching were also desiccation tolerant, whereas all algae unable to perform desiccation-induced quenching were desiccation intolerant. Desiccation-induced fluorescence quenching seems to be an
indispensable part of desiccation resistance in the investigated species.
Linear relationships between shoot magnesium and calcium concentrations among angiosperm species are associated with cell wall chemistry.
PubMed
White, Philip J; Broadley, Martin R; El-Serehy, Hamed A; George, Timothy S; Neugebauer, Konrad
2018-05-02
Linear relationships are commonly observed between shoot magnesium ([Mg]shoot) and shoot calcium ([Ca]shoot) concentrations among angiosperm species growing in the same environment. This article argues that, in plants that do not exhibit 'luxury' accumulation of Mg or Ca,
(1) distinct stoichiometric relationships between [Mg]shoot and [Ca]shoot are exhibited by at least three groups of angiosperm species, namely commelinid monocots, eudicots excluding Caryophyllales, and Caryophyllales species; (2) these relationships are determined by cell wall chemistry and the Mg/Ca mass quotients in their cell walls; (3) differences between species in [Mg]shoot and [Ca]shoot within each group are associated with differences
in the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the cell walls of different species; and (4) Caryophyllales constitutively accumulate more Mg in their vacuoles than other angiosperm species when grown without a supra-sufficient Mg supply.
Temporal and spatial expression of
polygalacturonase gene family members reveals divergent regulation during fleshy fruit ripening and abscission in the monocot species oil palm.
Cell separation that occurs during fleshy fruit abscission and dry fruit dehiscence facilitates seed dispersal, the final stage of plant reproductive development. While our understanding of the evolutionary context of cell separation is limited mainly to the eudicot model systems tomato and Arabidopsis, less is known about the mechanisms underlying fruit abscission in crop species, monocots in particular.
The polygalacturonase (PG) multigene family encodes enzymes involved in the depolymerisation of pectin homogalacturonan within the primary cell wall and middle lamella. PG activity is commonly found in the separation layers during organ abscission and dehiscence, however, little is known about how this gene family has diverged since the separation of monocot and eudicots and the consequence of this divergence on the abscission process. The objective of the current study was to
identify PGs responsible for the high activity previously observed in the abscission zone (AZ) during fruit shedding of the tropical monocot oil palm, and to analyze PG gene expression during oil palm fruit ripening and abscission. We identified 14 transcripts that encode PGs, all of which are expressed in the base of the oil palm fruit. The accumulation of five PG transcripts increase, four decrease and five do not change during ethylene treatments that induce cell separation. One PG transcript
(EgPG4) is the most highly induced in the fruit base, with a 700-5000 fold increase during the ethylene treatment. In situ hybridization experiments indicate that the EgPG4 transcript increases preferentially in the AZ cell layers in the base of the fruit in response to ethylene prior to cell separation. The expression pattern of EgPG4 is consistent with the temporal and spatial requirements for cell separation to occur during oil palm fruit shedding. The sequence diversity of PGs and the
complexity of their expression in the oil palm fruit tissues contrast with data from tomato, suggesting
Temporal and spatial expression of polygalacturonase gene family members reveals divergent regulation during fleshy fruit ripening
and abscission in the monocot species oil palm
PubMed Central
2012-01-01
Background Cell separation that occurs during fleshy fruit abscission and dry fruit dehiscence facilitates seed dispersal, the final stage of plant reproductive development. While our understanding of the evolutionary context of cell separation is limited mainly to the eudicot model
systems tomato and Arabidopsis, less is known about the mechanisms underlying fruit abscission in crop species, monocots in particular. The polygalacturonase (PG) multigene family encodes enzymes involved in the depolymerisation of pectin homogalacturonan within the primary cell wall and middle lamella. PG activity is commonly found in the separation layers during organ abscission and dehiscence, however, little is known about how this gene family has diverged since the separation
of monocot and eudicots and the consequence of this divergence on the abscission process. Results The objective of the current study was to identify PGs responsible for the high activity previously observed in the abscission zone (AZ) during fruit shedding of the tropical monocot oil palm, and to analyze PG gene expression during oil palm fruit ripening and abscission. We identified 14 transcripts that encode PGs, all of which are expressed in the base of the oil palm fruit. The
accumulation of five PG transcripts increase, four decrease and five do not change during ethylene treatments that induce cell separation. One PG transcript (EgPG4) is the most highly induced in the fruit base, with a 700–5000 fold increase during the ethylene treatment. In situ hybridization experiments indicate that the EgPG4 transcript increases preferentially in the AZ cell layers in the base of the fruit in response to ethylene prior to cell separation. Conclusions The expression pattern of
EgPG4 is consistent with the temporal and spatial requirements for cell separation to occur during oil palm fruit shedding. The sequence diversity of PGs and the complexity of their expression in the oil palm fruit tissues contrast with data
Magellanic penguin telomeres do not shorten with age with
increased reproductive effort, investment, and basal corticosterone.
PubMed
Cerchiara, Jack A; Risques, Rosa Ana; Prunkard, Donna; Smith, Jeffrey R; Kane, Olivia J; Boersma, P Dee
2017-08-01
All species should invest in systems that enhance longevity; however, a fundamental adult life-history trade-off exists between the metabolic resources allocated
to maintenance and those allocated to reproduction. Long-lived species will invest more in reproduction than in somatic maintenance as they age. We investigated this trade-off by analyzing correlations among telomere length, reproductive effort and output, and basal corticosterone in Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ). Telomeres shorten with age in most species studied to date, and may affect adult survival. High basal
corticosterone is indicative of stressful conditions. Corticosterone, and stress, has been linked to telomere shortening in other species. Magellanic penguins are a particularly good model organism for this question as they are an unusually long-lived species, exceeding their mass-adjusted predicted lifespan by 26%. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found adults aged 5 years to over 24 years of age had similar telomere lengths. Telomeres of adults did not shorten
over a 3-year period, regardless of the age of the individual. Neither telomere length, nor the rate at which the telomeres changed over these 3 years, correlated with breeding frequency or investment. Older females also produced larger volume clutches until approximately 15 years old and larger eggs produced heavier fledglings. Furthermore, reproductive success ( chicks fledged/eggs laid ) is maintained as females aged. Basal corticosterone, however, was not correlated
with telomere length in adults and suggests that low basal corticosterone may play a role in the telomere maintenance we observed. Basal corticosterone also declined during the breeding season and was positively correlated with the age of adult penguins. This higher basal corticosterone in older individuals, and consistent reproductive success, supports the prediction that Magellanic penguins invest more in reproduction as they age. Our results
Congruence and diversity of butterfly-host plant associations at higher taxonomic levels.
PubMed
Ferrer-Paris, José R; Sánchez-Mercado, Ada; Viloria, Ángel L;
Donaldson, John
2013-01-01
We aggregated data on butterfly-host plant associations from existing sources in order to address the following questions: (1) is there a general correlation between host diversity and butterfly species richness?, (2) has the evolution of host plant use followed consistent patterns across butterfly lineages?, (3) what is the common ancestral host plant for all butterfly lineages? The compilation included 44,148 records from 5,152 butterfly
species (28.6% of worldwide species of Papilionoidea) and 1,193 genera (66.3%). The overwhelming majority of butterflies use angiosperms as host plants. Fabales is used by most species (1,007 spp.) from all seven butterfly families and most subfamilies, Poales is the second most frequently used order, but is mostly restricted to two species-rich subfamilies: Hesperiinae (56.5% of all Hesperiidae), and Satyrinae (42.6% of all Nymphalidae). We
found a significant and strong correlation between host plant diversity and butterfly species richness. A global test for congruence (Parafit test) was sensitive to uncertainty in the butterfly cladogram, and suggests a mixed system with congruent associations between Papilionidae and magnoliids, Hesperiidae and monocots, and the remaining subfamilies with the eudicots (fabids and malvids), but also numerous random associations. The congruent associations are also
recovered as the most probable ancestral states in each node using maximum likelihood methods. The shift from basal groups to eudicots appears to be more likely than the other way around, with the only exception being a Satyrine-clade within the Nymphalidae that feed on monocots. Our analysis contributes to the visualization of the complex pattern of interactions at superfamily level and provides a context to discuss the timing of changes in host plant utilization that
might have promoted diversification in some butterfly lineages.
Congruence and Diversity of Butterfly-Host Plant Associations at Higher Taxonomic Levels
PubMed Central
Ferrer-Paris, José R.; Sánchez-Mercado, Ada; Viloria, Ángel L.; Donaldson, John
2013-01-01
We aggregated data on butterfly-host plant associations from existing sources in order to address the following questions: (1) is there a general correlation between host diversity and butterfly species richness?, (2) has the evolution of host plant use followed consistent patterns
across butterfly lineages?, (3) what is the common ancestral host plant for all butterfly lineages? The compilation included 44,148 records from 5,152 butterfly species (28.6% of worldwide species of Papilionoidea) and 1,193 genera (66.3%). The overwhelming majority of butterflies use angiosperms as host plants. Fabales is used by most species (1,007 spp.) from all seven butterfly families and most subfamilies, Poales is the second most frequently used
order, but is mostly restricted to two species-rich subfamilies: Hesperiinae (56.5% of all Hesperiidae), and Satyrinae (42.6% of all Nymphalidae). We found a significant and strong correlation between host plant diversity and butterfly species richness. A global test for congruence (Parafit test) was sensitive to uncertainty in the butterfly cladogram, and suggests a mixed system with congruent associations between Papilionidae and magnoliids, Hesperiidae and monocots,
and the remaining subfamilies with the eudicots (fabids and malvids), but also numerous random associations. The congruent associations are also recovered as the most probable ancestral states in each node using maximum likelihood methods. The shift from basal groups to eudicots appears to be more likely than the other way around, with the only exception being a Satyrine-clade within the Nymphalidae that feed on monocots. Our analysis contributes to the
visualization of the complex pattern of interactions at superfamily level and provides a context to discuss the timing of changes in host plant utilization that might have promoted diversification in some butterfly lineages. PMID:23717448
The transition in hemoglobin proton-binding characteristics within
the basal actinopterygian fishes.
PubMed
Regan, Matthew Daniel; Brauner, Colin J
2010-04-01
Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) transport in the blood of fishes is aided by the proton-binding properties of hemoglobin (Hb) through either a high-intrinsic buffer value and small oxylabile proton binding (Haldane effect), or a low buffer value and large Haldane effect. Primitive
species, such as elasmobranchs and sarcopterygians have been shown to rely on the former, while derived species, such as teleosts rely on the latter. Both strategies are effective in the transport of CO(2) in the blood. However, there is a paucity of information on the nature of the transition between these two strategies that appears to occur within the intermediate group of fishes, the basal actinopterygians. The objective of the present study was to
simultaneously assess the intrinsic Hb buffer values and Haldane effects of species within the basal actinopterygian lineage to characterize the transition in Hb-proton-binding strategy seen among the fishes. Expressed in order of most basal to most derived, the species investigated included American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), alligator gar (Atractosteus
spatula), bowfin (Amia calva), and mooneye (Hiodon tergisus). Hemolysates from these species were prepared and Hb titrations (under oxygenated and deoxygenated conditions) were performed in both the presence and absence of saturating levels of organic phosphates (GTP). The findings suggest that the nature of the Hb-proton-binding transition may have been punctuated rather than gradual, with the Hb buffer value decreasing and the Haldane effect increasing significantly in bowfin from
fairly steady ancestral levels in the four more basalspecies. This change is coupled with the initial appearance of the choroid rete, as well as an increase in the magnitude and onset pH of the Root effect in bowfin, suggesting that the change in Hb-proton-binding strategy may be associated with the evolution of enhanced O(2) delivery to
Environmental filtering of eudicot lineages underlies phylogenetic clustering in tropical South American flooded forests.
PubMed
Aldana, Ana M; Carlucci, Marcos B; Fine, Paul V A; Stevenson, Pablo R
2017-02-01
The phylogenetic community assembly approach has been used to elucidate the role of ecological and historical processes in shaping tropical tree communities. Recent studies have shown that stressful environments, such as seasonally dry, white-sand and flooded forests tend to be phylogenetically clustered, arguing for niche conservatism as the main driver for this pattern. Very few studies have attempted to identify the lineages that contribute to such assembly patterns. We
aimed to improve our understanding of the assembly of flooded forest tree communities in Northern South America by asking the following questions: are seasonally flooded forests phylogenetically clustered? If so, which angiosperm lineages are over-represented in seasonally flooded forests? To assess our hypotheses, we investigated seasonally flooded and terra firme forests from the Magdalena, Orinoco and Amazon Basins, in Colombia. Our results show that, regardless of the river basin in which
they are located, seasonally flooded forests of Northern South America tend to be phylogenetically clustered, which means that the more abundant taxa in these forests are more closely related to each other than expected by chance. Based on our alpha and beta phylodiversity analyses we interpret that eudicots are more likely to adapt to extreme environments such as seasonally flooded forests, which indicates the importance of environmental filtering in the assembly of the Neotropical
flora.
Basal cell cancer (image)
MedlinePlus
Basal cell cancer is a malignant skin tumor involving cancerous changes of basal skin cells. Basal cell skin cancers
... biopsy is needed to prove the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. Treatment varies depending on the size, depth, and ...
Spatio-temporal isotopic signatures (δ13 C and δ15 N) reveal that two sympatric West African mullet species do not feed on the same basal
production sources.
Basal body structure and composition in the apicomplexans Toxoplasma and Plasmodium.
PubMed
Francia, Maria E; Dubremetz, Jean-Francois; Morrissette, Naomi S
2015-01-01
The phylum Apicomplexa encompasses numerous important human and animal disease-causing parasites, including the Plasmodium species, and Toxoplasma gondii, causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, respectively. Apicomplexans proliferate by asexual replication and can also undergo sexual recombination. Most life cycle stages of the parasite lack flagella; these structures only appear on male gametes. Although male gametes (microgametes) assemble a typical 9+2 axoneme, the
structure of the templating basal body is poorly defined. Moreover, the relationship between asexual stage centrioles and microgamete basal bodies remains unclear. While asexual stages of Plasmodium lack defined centriole structures, the asexual stages of Toxoplasma and closely related coccidian apicomplexans contain centrioles that consist of nine singlet microtubules and a central tubule. There are relatively few ultra-structural images of Toxoplasma microgametes,
which only develop in cat intestinal epithelium. Only a subset of these include sections through the basal body: to date, none have unambiguously captured organization of the basal body structure. Moreover, it is unclear whether this basal body is derived from pre-existing asexual stage centrioles or is synthesized de novo. Basal bodies in Plasmodium microgametes are thought to be synthesized de novo, and their assembly remains ill-defined.
Apicomplexan genomes harbor genes encoding δ- and ε-tubulin homologs, potentially enabling these parasites to assemble a typical triplet basal body structure. Moreover, the UNIMOD components (SAS6, SAS4/CPAP, and BLD10/CEP135) are conserved in these organisms. However, other widely conserved basal body and flagellar biogenesis elements are missing from apicomplexan genomes. These differences may indicate variations in flagellar biogenesis pathways and in
basal body arrangement within the phylum. As apicomplexan basal bodies are distinct from their metazoan counterparts, it may be possible to
Relationship between the species-representative phenotype
and intraspecific variation in Ranunculaceae floral organ and Asteraceae flower numbers
PubMed Central
Kitazawa, Miho S.; Fujimoto, Koichi
2016-01-01
Background and Aims Phenotypic variation in floral morphologies contributes to speciation by testing various morphologies that might have higher adaptivity, leading eventually to phylogenetic diversity. Species
diversity has been recognized, however, by modal morphologies where the variation is averaged out, so little is known about the relationship between the variation and the diversity. Methods We analysed quantitatively the intraspecific variation of the organ numbers within flowers of Ranunculaceae, a family which branched near the monocot–eudicot separation, and the numbers of flowers within the capitula of Asteraceae, one of the most diverse families of eudicots. We
used four elementary statistical quantities: mean, standard deviation (s.d.), degree of symmetry (skewness) and steepness (kurtosis). Key Results While these four quantities vary among populations, we found a common relationship between s.d. and the mean number of petals and sepals in Ranunculaceae and number of flowers per capitulum in Asteraceae. The s.d. is equal to the square root of the difference between the mean and specific number, showing robustness: for example, 3 in Ficaria sepals, 5
in Ranunculus petals and Anemone tepals, and 13 in Farfugium ray florets. This square-root relationship was not applicable to Eranthis petals which show little correlation between the s.d. and mean, and the stamens and carpels of Ranunculaceae whose s.d. is proportional to the mean. The specific values found in the square-root relationship provide a novel way to find the species-representative phenotype among varied morphologies. Conclusions The representative phenotype is, in most
cases, unique to the species or genus level, despite intraspecific differences of average phenotype among populations. The type of variation shown by the statistical quantities indicates not only the robustness of the morphologies but also how flowering plants changed during evolution among representative phenotypes that
Transcriptional signatures of ancient floral developmental genetics in avocado (Persea americana; Lauraceae).
PubMed
Chanderbali, André S; Albert, Victor A; Leebens-Mack, Jim; Altman, Naomi S; Soltis, Douglas E;
Soltis, Pamela S
2009-06-02
The debate on the origin and evolution of flowers has recently entered the field of developmental genetics, with focus on the design of the ancestral floral regulatory program. Flowers can differ dramatically among angiosperm lineages, but in general, male and female reproductive organs surrounded by a sterile perianth of sepals and petals constitute the basic floral structure. However, the basal angiosperm lineages exhibit spectacular
diversity in the number, arrangement, and structure of floral organs, whereas the evolutionarily derived monocot and eudicot lineages share a far more uniform floral ground plan. Here we show that broadly overlapping transcriptional programs characterize the floral transcriptome of the basal angiosperm Persea americana (avocado), whereas floral gene expression domains are considerably more organ specific in the model eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana. Our
findings therefore support the "fading borders" model for organ identity determination in basal angiosperm flowers and extend it from the action of regulatory genes to downstream transcriptional programs. Furthermore, the declining expression of components of the staminal transcriptome in central and peripheral regions of Persea flowers concurs with elements of a previous hypothesis for developmental regulation in a gymnosperm "floral progenitor." Accordingly, in contrast to the
canalized organ-specific regulatory apparatus of Arabidopsis, floral development may have been originally regulated by overlapping transcriptional cascades with fading gradients of influence from focal to bordering organs.
Cognitive-motor interactions of the basal ganglia in development
PubMed Central
Leisman, Gerry; Braun-Benjamin, Orit; Melillo, Robert
2014-01-01
Neural circuits linking activity in anatomically segregated populations of neurons in subcortical structures and the neocortex throughout the human brain regulate complex behaviors such as walking, talking, language comprehension, and other cognitive functions associated with frontal lobes. The basal ganglia, which regulate motor control, are also crucial elements in the circuits that confer human reasoning and adaptive function. The basal ganglia
are key elements in the control of reward-based learning, sequencing, discrete elements that constitute a complete motor act, and cognitive function. Imaging studies of intact human subjects and electrophysiologic and tracer studies of the brains and behavior of other species confirm these findings. We know that the relation between the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortical region allows for connections organized into discrete circuits. Rather than serving as a means
for widespread cortical areas to gain access to the motor system, these loops reciprocally interconnect a large and diverse set of cerebral cortical areas with the basal ganglia. Neuronal activity within the basal ganglia associated with motor areas of the cerebral cortex is highly correlated with parameters of movement. Neuronal activity within the basal ganglia and cerebellar loops associated with the prefrontal cortex is related to the aspects of
cognitive function. Thus, individual loops appear to be involved in distinct behavioral functions. Damage to the basal ganglia of circuits with motor areas of the cortex leads to motor symptoms, whereas damage to the subcortical components of circuits with non-motor areas of the cortex causes higher-order deficits. In this report, we review some of the anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral findings that have contributed to a reappraisal of function concerning the basal
ganglia and cerebellar loops with the cerebral cortex and apply it in clinical applications to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD
Modeled distributions of 12 tree species in New York
Treesearch
Rachel I. Riemann; Barry T. Wilson; Andrew J. Lister; Oren Cook; Sierra Crane-Murdoch
2014-01-01
These maps depict the distribution of 12 tree species across the state of New York. The maps show where these trees do not occur (gray), occasionally occur (pale green), are a minor component (medium green), are a major component (dark green), or are the dominant species (black) in the forest, as determined by that species' total
basal area. Basal area is the area...
Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome
MedlinePlus
NBCC syndrome; Gorlin-Goltz syndrome; Basal cell nevus syndrome; BCNS;
Basal cell cancer - nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome ... Nevoid basal cell carcinoma nevus syndrome is a rare genetic condition. The gene linked to the syndrome is known as PTCH (" ...
Oil biosynthesis in a basal angiosperm: transcriptome analysis of
Persea Americana mesocarp.
The mechanism by which plants synthesize and store high amounts of triacylglycerols (TAG) in tissues other than seeds
is not well understood. The comprehension of controls for carbon partitioning and oil accumulation in nonseed tissues is essential to generate oil-rich biomass in perennial bioenergy crops. Persea americana (avocado), a basal angiosperm with unique features that are ancestral to most flowering plants, stores ~ 70 % TAG per dry weight in its mesocarp, a nonseed tissue. Transcriptome analyses of select pathways, from generation of pyruvate and leading up to TAG accumulation, in
mesocarp tissues of avocado was conducted and compared with that of oil-rich monocot (oil palm) and dicot (rapeseed and castor) tissues to identify tissue- and species-specific regulation and biosynthesis of TAG in plants. RNA-Seq analyses of select lipid metabolic pathways of avocado mesocarp revealed patterns similar to that of other oil-rich species. However, only some predominant orthologs of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway genes in this basal
angiosperm were similar to those of monocots and dicots. The accumulation of TAG, rich in oleic acid, was associated with higher transcript levels for a putative stearoyl-ACP desaturase and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated acyl-CoA synthetases, during fruit development. Gene expression levels for enzymes involved in terminal steps to TAG biosynthesis in the ER further indicated that both acyl-CoA-dependent and -independent mechanisms might play a role in TAG assembly, depending on the
developmental stage of the fruit. Furthermore, in addition to the expression of an ortholog of WRINKLED1 (WRI1), a regulator of fatty acid biosynthesis, high transcript levels for WRI2-like and WRI3-like suggest a role for additional transcription factors in nonseed oil accumulation. Plastid pyruvate necessary for fatty acid synthesis is likely driven by the upregulation of genes involved in glycolysis and transport of its intermediates
Basal Cell Carcinoma
PubMed Central
Lanoue, Julien
2016-01-01
Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly
occurring cancer in the world and overall incidence is still on the rise. While typically a slow-growing tumor for which metastases is rare, basal cell carcinoma can be locally destructive and disfiguring. Given the vast prevalence of this disease, there is a significant overall burden on patient well-being and quality of life. The current mainstay of basal cell carcinoma treatment involves surgical modalities, such as electrodessication and curettage, excision,
cryosurgery, and Mohs micrographic surgery. Such methods are typically reserved for localized basal cell carcinoma and offer high five-year cure rates, but come with the risk of functional impairment, disfigurement, and scarring. Here, the authors review the evidence and indications for nonsurgical treatment modalities in cases where surgery is impractical, contraindicated, or simply not desired by the patient. PMID:27386043
A Conserved Network of Transcriptional Activators and Repressors Regulates Anthocyanin Pigmentation in Eudicots[C][W][OPEN
PubMed Central
Albert, Nick W.; Davies, Kevin M.; Lewis, David H.; Zhang, Huaibi; Montefiori, Mirco; Brendolise, Cyril; Boase, Murray R.; Ngo, Hanh; Jameson, Paula E.; Schwinn, Kathy E.
2014-01-01
Plants require sophisticated regulatory mechanisms to ensure the degree of anthocyanin pigmentation is appropriate to myriad developmental and environmental signals. Central to this process are the activity of MYB-bHLH-WD repeat (MBW) complexes that regulate the transcription of anthocyanin genes. In
this study, the gene regulatory network that regulates anthocyanin synthesis in petunia (Petunia hybrida) has been characterized. Genetic and molecular evidence show that the R2R3-MYB, MYB27, is an anthocyanin repressor that functions as part of the MBW complex and represses transcription through its C-terminal EAR motif. MYB27 targets both the anthocyanin pathway genes and basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) ANTHOCYANIN1 (AN1), itself an essential component of the MBW activation complex for
pigmentation. Other features of the regulatory network identified include inhibition of AN1 activity by the competitive R3-MYB repressor MYBx and the activation of AN1, MYB27, and MYBx by the MBW activation complex, providing for both reinforcement and feedback regulation. We also demonstrate the intercellular movement of the WDR protein (AN11) and R3-repressor (MYBx), which may facilitate anthocyanin pigment pattern formation. The fundamental features of this regulatory network in the Asterid
model of petunia are similar to those in the Rosid model of Arabidopsis thaliana and are thus likely to be widespread in the Eudicots. PMID:24642943
Phylogenetic analysis of the “ECE” (CYC/TB1) clade reveals duplications
predating the core eudicots
PubMed Central
Howarth, Dianella G.; Donoghue, Michael J.
2006-01-01
Flower symmetry is of special interest in understanding angiosperm evolution and ecology. Evidence from the Antirrhineae (snapdragon and relatives) indicates that several TCP gene-family transcription factors, especially CYCLOIDEA (CYC) and DICHOTOMA (DICH), play a role
in specifying dorsal identity in the corolla and androecium of monosymmetric (bilateral) flowers. Studies of rosid and asterid angiosperms suggest that orthologous TCP genes may be important in dorsal identity, but there has been no broad phylogenetic context to determine copy number or orthology. Here, we compare published data from rosids and asterids with newly collected data from ranunculids, caryophyllids, Saxifragales, and Asterales to ascertain the phylogenetic placement of major
duplications in the “ECE” (CYC/TB1) clade of TCP transcription factors. Bayesian analyses indicate that there are three major copies of “CYC” in the ECE clade, and that duplications leading to these copies predate the core eudicots. CYC1 contains no subsequent duplications and may not be expressed in floral tissue. CYC3 exhibits similar patterns of duplication to CYC2 in several groups. Using RT-PCR, we show that, in flowers of Lonicera morrowii (Caprifoliaceae), DipsCYC2B is
expressed in the four dorsal petals and not in the ventral petal. DipsCYC3B is expressed in flower and petal primordia, possibly most strongly in the ventral petal. PMID:16754863
Molecular mechanisms underlying origin and diversification of the angiosperm flower.
PubMed
Theissen, Guenter; Melzer, Rainer
2007-09-01
Understanding the mode and mechanisms of the evolution of the angiosperm flower is a long-standing and central problem of evolutionary biology and botany. It has essentially remained unsolved, however. In contrast, considerable progress has recently been made in our understanding of the genetic basis of flower development in some extant model
species. The knowledge that accumulated this way has been pulled together in two major hypotheses, termed the 'ABC model' and the 'floral quartet model'. These models explain how the identity of the different types of floral organs is specified during flower development by homeotic selector genes encoding transcription factors. We intend to explain how the 'ABC model' and the 'floral quartet model' are now guiding investigations that help to understand the origin and diversification
of the angiosperm flower. Investigation of orthologues of class B and class C floral homeotic genes in gymnosperms suggest that bisexuality was one of the first innovations during the origin of the flower. The transition from dimer to tetramer formation of floral homeotic proteins after establishment of class E proteins may have increased cooperativity of DNA binding of the transcription factors controlling reproductive growth. That way, we hypothesize, better 'developmental switches' originated
that facilitated the early evolution of the flower. Expression studies of ABC genes in basally diverging angiosperm lineages, monocots and basaleudicots suggest that the 'classical' ABC system known from core eudicots originated from a more fuzzy system with fading borders of gene expression and gradual transitions in organ identity, by sharpening of ABC gene expression domains and organ borders. Shifting boundaries of ABC gene expression may
have contributed to the diversification of the angiosperm flower many times independently, as may have changes in interactions between ABC genes and their target genes.
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Origin and Diversification of the
Angiosperm Flower
PubMed Central
Theissen, Guenter; Melzer, Rainer
2007-01-01
Background Understanding the mode and mechanisms of the evolution of the angiosperm flower is a long-standing and central problem of evolutionary biology and botany. It has essentially remained unsolved, however. In contrast, considerable progress has recently been made in our understanding of the
genetic basis of flower development in some extant model species. The knowledge that accumulated this way has been pulled together in two major hypotheses, termed the ‘ABC model’ and the ‘floral quartet model’. These models explain how the identity of the different types of floral organs is specified during flower development by homeotic selector genes encoding transcription factors. Scope We intend to explain how the ‘ABC model’ and the ‘floral quartet model’ are now guiding
investigations that help to understand the origin and diversification of the angiosperm flower. Conclusions Investigation of orthologues of class B and class C floral homeotic genes in gymnosperms suggest that bisexuality was one of the first innovations during the origin of the flower. The transition from dimer to tetramer formation of floral homeotic proteins after establishment of class E proteins may have increased cooperativity of DNA binding of the transcription factors controlling
reproductive growth. That way, we hypothesize, better ‘developmental switches’ originated that facilitated the early evolution of the flower. Expression studies of ABC genes in basally diverging angiosperm lineages, monocots and basaleudicots suggest that the ‘classical’ ABC system known from core eudicots originated from a more fuzzy system with fading borders of gene expression and gradual transitions in organ identity, by sharpening of ABC
gene expression domains and organ borders. Shifting boundaries of ABC gene expression may have contributed to the diversification of the angiosperm flower many times independently, as may have changes in interactions between ABC genes and their target
Axillary basal cell carcinoma in patients
with Goltz-Gorlin syndrome: report of basal cell carcinoma in both axilla of a woman with basal cell nevus syndrome and literature review.
PubMed
Cohen, Philip R
2014-08-17
Basal cell carcinoma of the axilla, an area that is not usually exposed to the sun, is rare. Individuals with basal cell nevus syndrome, a disorder
associated with a mutation in the patch 1 (PTCH1) gene, develop numerous basal cell carcinomas. To describe a woman with basal cell nevus syndrome who developed a pigmented basal cell carcinoma in each of her axilla and to review the features of axillary basal cell carcinoma patients with Goltz-Gorlin syndrome. Pubmed was used to search the following terms: axillary basal cell carcinoma and basal cell nevus syndrome.
The papers and their citations were evaluated. Basal cell nevus syndrome patients with basal cell carcinoma of the axilla were observed in two women; this represents 2.5% (2 of 79) of the patients with axillary basal cell carcinoma. Both women had pigmented tumors that were histologically nonaggressive. The cancers did not recur after curettage or excision. Basal cell carcinoma of the axilla has only been described in 79 individuals; two of the
patients were women with pigmented tumors who had basal cell nevus syndrome. Similar to other patients with axillary basal cell carcinoma, the tumors were histologically nonaggressive and did not recur following treatment. Whether PTCH1 gene mutation predisposes basal cell nevus patients to develop axillary basal cell carcinomas remains to be determined.
Experience with basal area estimation by prisms in lodgepole pine.
Treesearch
James M. Trappe
1957-01-01
Estimation of basal area by prisms offers intriguing possibilities for reducing time and
effort in making stand inventories. Increased inventory efficiency is a particular need in stands that are relatively low in value due to small stems, predominance of low value species or heavy defect. In the Pacific Northwest, lodgepole pine characteristically forms dense low-...
A comparative study of ethylene growth response kinetics in eudicots and monocots reveals a role for gibberellin in growth inhibition and recovery.
PubMed
Kim, Joonyup; Wilson, Rebecca L; Case, J Brett;
Binder, Brad M
2012-11-01
Time-lapse imaging of dark-grown Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) hypocotyls has revealed new aspects about ethylene signaling. This study expands upon these results by examining ethylene growth response kinetics of seedlings of several plant species. Although the response kinetics varied between the eudicots studied, all had prolonged growth inhibition for as long as ethylene was present. In contrast, with continued application
of ethylene, white millet (Panicum miliaceum) seedlings had a rapid and transient growth inhibition response, rice (Oryza sativa 'Nipponbare') seedlings had a slow onset of growth stimulation, and barley (Hordeum vulgare) had a transient growth inhibition response followed, after a delay, by a prolonged inhibition response. Growth stimulation in rice correlated with a decrease in the levels of rice ETHYLENE INSENSTIVE3-LIKE2 (OsEIL2) and an increase in rice F-BOX DOMAIN AND LRR CONTAINING
PROTEIN7 transcripts. The gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol caused millet seedlings to have a prolonged growth inhibition response when ethylene was applied. A transient ethylene growth inhibition response has previously been reported for Arabidopsis ethylene insensitive3-1 (ein3-1) eil1-1 double mutants. Paclobutrazol caused these mutants to have a prolonged response to ethylene, whereas constitutive GA signaling in this background eliminated ethylene responses. Sensitivity
to paclobutrazol inversely correlated with the levels of EIN3 in Arabidopsis. Wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings treated with paclobutrazol and mutants deficient in GA levels or signaling had a delayed growth recovery after ethylene removal. It is interesting to note that ethylene caused alterations in gene expression that are predicted to increase GA levels in the ein3-1 eil1-1 seedlings. These results indicate that ethylene affects GA levels leading to modulation of ethylene growth inhibition
kinetics.
New data from basal Australian songbird lineages show that complex structure of MHC class II β genes has early evolutionary origins within passerines.
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a crucial role in the adaptive immune system and has been extensively studied across vertebrate taxa. Although the function of MHC genes appears to be conserved across taxa, there is great variation in the number and organisation of these genes. Among avian species, for instance, there are notable differences in MHC
structure between passerine and non-passerine lineages: passerines typically have a high number of highly polymorphic MHC paralogs whereas non-passerines have fewer loci and lower levels of polymorphism. Although the occurrence of highly polymorphic MHC paralogs in passerines is well documented, their evolutionary origins are relatively unexplored. The majority of studies have focussed on the more derived passerine lineages and there is very little empirical information on the diversity of the
MHC in basal passerine lineages. We undertook a study of MHC diversity and evolutionary relationships across seven species from four families (Climacteridae, Maluridae, Pardalotidae, Meliphagidae) that comprise a prominent component of the basal passerine lineages. We aimed to determine if highly polymorphic MHC paralogs have an early evolutionary origin within passerines or are a more derived feature of the infraorder Passerida. We identified 177 alleles
of the MHC class II β exon 2 in seven basal passerine species, with variation in numbers of alleles across individuals and species. Overall, we found evidence of multiple gene loci, pseudoalleles, trans-species polymorphism and high allelic diversity in these basal lineages. Phylogenetic reconstruction of avian lineages based on MHC class II β exon 2 sequences strongly supported the monophyletic grouping of basal and
derived passerine species. Our study provides evidence of a large number of highly polymorphic MHC paralogs in seven basal passerine species, with strong similarities to the MHC described in more derived passerine lineages rather than the simpler MHC
Comparative
chloroplast genomics: Analyses including new sequencesfrom the angiosperms Nuphar advena and Ranunculus macranthus
SciTech Connect
Raubeso, Linda A.; Peery, Rhiannon; Chumley, Timothy W.
2007-03-01
The number of completely sequenced plastid genomes available is growing rapidly. This new array of sequences presents new opportunities to perform comparative analyses. In comparative studies, it is most
useful to compare across wide phylogenetic spans and, within angiosperms, to include representatives from basally diverging lineages such as the new genomes reported here: Nuphar advena (from a basal-most lineage) and Ranunculus macranthus (from the basal group of eudicots). We report these two new plastid genome sequences and make comparisons (within angiosperms, seed plants, or all photosynthetic lineages) to evaluate features such as the
status of ycf15 and ycf68 as proteinmore » coding genes, the distribution of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and longer dispersed repeats (SDR), and patterns of nucleotide composition.« less
The Basal Ganglia-Circa 1982
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mehler, William R.
1981-01-01
Our review has shown that recent studies with the new anterograde and retrograde axon transport methods have confirmed and extended our knowledge of the projection of the basal ganglia and clarified their sites of origin. They have thrown new light on certain topographic connectional relationships and revealed several new reciprocal
connections between constituent nuclei of the basal ganglia. Similarly, attention has been drawn to the fact that there have also been many new histochemical techniques introduced in recent years that are now providing regional biochemical overlays for connectional maps of the central nervous system, especially regions in, or interconnecting with, the basal ganglia. However, although these new morphological biochemical maps are very complex and technically highly
advanced, our understanding of the function controlled by the basal ganglia still remains primitive. The reader who is interested in some new ideas of the functional aspects of the basal ganglia is directed to Nauta's proposed conceptual reorganization of the basal ganglia telencephalon and to Marsden's more clinically orientated appraisal of the unsolved mysteries of the basal ganglia participation in the control of movement.
Complete chloroplast genome sequences of Drimys, Liriodendron, andPiper: Implications for the phylogeny of magnoliids and the evolution ofGC content
SciTech Connect
Zhengqiu, C.; Penaflor, C.; Kuehl, J.V.
2006-06-01
The magnoliids
represent the largest basal angiosperm clade with four orders, 19 families and 8,500 species. Although several recent angiosperm molecular phylogenies have supported the monophyly of magnoliids and suggested relationships among the orders, the limited number of genes examined resulted in only weak support, and these issues remain controversial. Furthermore, considerable incongruence has resulted in phylogenies supporting three different sets of relationships among
magnoliids and the two large angiosperm clades, monocots and eudicots. This is one of the most important remaining issues concerning relationships among basal angiosperms. We sequenced the chloroplast genomes of three magnoliids, Drimys (Canellales), Liriodendron (Magnoliales),more » and Piper (Piperales), and used these data in combination with 32 other completed angiosperm chloroplast genomes to assess phylogenetic relationships among magnoliids. The Drimys and
Piper chloroplast genomes are nearly identical in size at 160,606 and 160,624 bp, respectively. The genomes include a pair of inverted repeats of 26,649 bp (Drimys) and 27,039 (Piper), separated by a small single copy region of 18,621 (Drimys) and 18,878 (Piper) and a large single copy region of 88,685 bp (Drimys) and 87,666 bp (Piper). The gene order of both taxa is nearly identical to many other unrearranged angiosperm chloroplast genomes, including Calycanthus, the other published magnoliid
genome. Comparisons of angiosperm chloroplast genomes indicate that GC content is not uniformly distributed across the genome. Overall GC content ranges from 34-39%, and coding regions have a substantially higher GC content than non-coding regions (both intergenic spacers and introns). Among protein-coding genes, GC content varies by codon position with 1st codon > 2nd codon > 3rd codon, and it varies by functional group with photosynthetic genes having the highest percentage and NADH
genes the lowest. Across the genome, GC content is
Imaging basal ganglia function
PubMed Central
BROOKS, DAVID J.
2000-01-01
In this review, the value of functional imaging for providing insight into the role of the basal ganglia in motor control is reviewed. Brain activation findings in normal subjects and Parkinson's disease patients are examined and evidence supporting the existence for functionally independent distributed basal ganglia-frontal loops is presented. It is argued that the basal ganglia probably act to focus and filter cortical output,
optimising the running of motor programs. PMID:10923986
Floral gene resources from basal angiosperms for comparative genomics research
PubMed Central
Albert, Victor A; Soltis, Douglas E; Carlson, John E; Farmerie, William G; Wall, P Kerr; Ilut, Daniel C; Solow, Teri M; Mueller, Lukas A; Landherr, Lena L; Hu, Yi; Buzgo, Matyas; Kim, Sangtae; Yoo, Mi-Jeong; Frohlich, Michael W; Perl-Treves, Rafael; Schlarbaum, Scott E; Bliss, Barbara J; Zhang, Xiaohong; Tanksley, Steven D; Oppenheimer, David G; Soltis, Pamela S; Ma, Hong; dePamphilis, Claude W;
Leebens-Mack, James H
2005-01-01
Background The Floral Genome Project was initiated to bridge the genomic gap between the most broadly studied plant model systems. Arabidopsis and rice, although now completely sequenced and under intensive comparative genomic investigation, are separated by at least 125 million years of evolutionary time, and cannot in isolation provide a comprehensive perspective on structural and functional aspects of flowering plant genome dynamics. Here we
discuss new genomic resources available to the scientific community, comprising cDNA libraries and Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) sequences for a suite of phylogenetically basal angiosperms specifically selected to bridge the evolutionary gaps between model plants and provide insights into gene content and genome structure in the earliest flowering plants. Results Random sequencing of cDNAs from representatives of phylogenetically important eudicot, non-grass monocot, and
gymnosperm lineages has so far (as of 12/1/04) generated 70,514 ESTs and 48,170 assembled unigenes. Efficient sorting of EST sequences into putative gene families based on whole Arabidopsis/rice proteome comparison has permitted ready identification of cDNA clones for finished sequencing. Preliminarily, (i) proportions of functional categories among sequenced floral genes seem representative of the entire Arabidopsis transcriptome, (ii) many known floral gene homologues have been captured, and
(iii) phylogenetic analyses of ESTs are providing new insights into the process of gene family evolution in relation to the origin and diversification of the angiosperms. Conclusion Initial comparisons illustrate the utility of the EST data sets toward discovery of the basic floral transcriptome. These first findings also afford the opportunity to address a number of conspicuous evolutionary genomic questions, including reproductive organ transcriptome overlap between angiosperms and
gymnosperms, genome-wide duplication history, lineage-specific gene duplication and
[Anti-basal ganglia antibody].
PubMed
Hayashi, Masaharu
2013-04-01
Sydenham's chorea (SC)
is a major manifestation of rheumatic fever, and the production of anti-basal ganglia antibodies (ABGA) has been proposed in SC. The pathogenesis is hypothesized as autoimmune targeting of the basal ganglia via molecular mimicry, triggered by streptococcal infection. The spectrum of diseases in which ABGA may be involved has been broadened to include other extrapyramidal movement disorders, such as tics, dystonia, and Parkinsonism, as well as other psychiatric
disorders. The autoimmune hypothesis in the presence and absence of ABGA has been suggested in Tourette's syndrome (TS), early onset obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). Recently, the relationship between ABGA and dopamine neurons in the basal ganglia has been examined, and autoantibodies against dopamine receptors were detected in the sera from patients with basal
ganglia encephalitis. In Japan, the occurrence of subacute encephalitis, where patients suffer from episodes of altered behavior and involuntary movements, has increased. Immune-modulating treatments are effective, indicating the involvement of an autoimmune mechanism. We aimed to detect the anti-neuronal autoantibodies in such encephalitis, using immunohistochemical assessment of patient sera. The sera from patients showing involuntary movements had immunoreactivity for basal
ganglia neurons. Further epitopes for ABGA will be investigated in basal ganglia disorders other than SC, TS, OCD, and PANDAS.
Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia.
PubMed
Lanciego, José L; Luquin, Natasha; Obeso, José A
2012-12-01
The "basal ganglia" refers to a group of subcortical nuclei responsible primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions. Proposed more than two decades ago, the classical basal ganglia model shows how information flows through
the basal ganglia back to the cortex through two pathways with opposing effects for the proper execution of movement. Although much of the model has remained, the model has been modified and amplified with the emergence of new data. Furthermore, parallel circuits subserve the other functions of the basal ganglia engaging associative and limbic territories. Disruption of the basal ganglia network forms the basis for several movement disorders. This article
provides a comprehensive account of basal ganglia functional anatomy and chemistry and the major pathophysiological changes underlying disorders of movement. We try to answer three key questions related to the basal ganglia, as follows: What are the basal ganglia? What are they made of? How do they work? Some insight on the canonical basal ganglia model is provided, together with a selection of paradoxes and some views over the horizon in the
field.
Relationship between the species-representative phenotype and intraspecific variation in Ranunculaceae floral organ and Asteraceae flower numbers.
Black-backed woodpecker habitat suitability mapping using conifer snag basal area estimated from airborne laser scanning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Casas Planes, Á.; Garcia, M.; Siegel, R.; Koltunov, A.; Ramirez, C.; Ustin, S.
2015-12-01
Occupancy and habitat suitability models for snag-dependent wildlife species are commonly defined as a function of snag basal area. Although critical for predicting or assessing habitat suitability, spatially distributed estimates of snag
basal area are not generally available across landscapes at spatial scales relevant for conservation planning. This study evaluates the use of airborne laser scanning (ALS) to 1) identify individual conifer snags and map their basal area across a recently burned forest, and 2) map habitat suitability for a wildlife species known to be dependent on snag basal area, specifically the black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus). This study focuses
on the Rim Fire, a megafire that took place in 2013 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, creating large patches of medium- and high-severity burned forest. We use forest inventory plots, single-tree ALS-derived metrics and Gaussian processes classification and regression to identify conifer snags and estimate their stem diameter and basal area. Then, we use the results to map habitat suitability for the black-backed woodpecker using thresholds for conifer basal
area from a previously published habitat suitability model. Local maxima detection and watershed segmentation algorithms resulted in 75% detection of trees with stem diameter larger than 30 cm. Snags are identified with an overall accuracy of 91.8 % and conifer snags are identified with an overall accuracy of 84.8 %. Finally, Gaussian process regression reliably estimated stem diameter (R2 = 0.8) using height and crown area. This work provides a fast and efficient methodology to characterize the
extent of a burned forest at the tree level and a critical tool for early wildlife assessment in post-fire forest management and biodiversity conservation.
The Human Airway Epithelial Basal Cell Transcriptome
PubMed Central
Wang, Rui; Zwick, Rachel K.; Ferris, Barbara; Witover, Bradley; Salit, Jacqueline; Crystal, Ronald G.
2011-01-01
Background The human airway epithelium consists of 4 major cell types: ciliated, secretory, columnar and basal cells. During natural turnover and in response to injury, the airway basal cells function as stem/progenitor cells for the other
airway cell types. The objective of this study is to better understand human airway epithelial basal cell biology by defining the gene expression signature of this cell population. Methodology/Principal Findings Bronchial brushing was used to obtain airway epithelium from healthy nonsmokers. Microarrays were used to assess the transcriptome of basal cells purified from the airway epithelium in comparison to the transcriptome of the differentiated airway epithelium. This
analysis identified the “human airway basal cell signature” as 1,161 unique genes with >5-fold higher expression level in basal cells compared to differentiated epithelium. The basal cell signature was suppressed when the basal cells differentiated into a ciliated airway epithelium in vitro. The basal cell signature displayed overlap with genes expressed in basal-like cells from other human tissues and with that of
murine airway basal cells. Consistent with self-modulation as well as signaling to other airway cell types, the human airway basal cell signature was characterized by genes encoding extracellular matrix components, growth factors and growth factor receptors, including genes related to the EGF and VEGF pathways. Interestingly, while the basal cell signature overlaps that of basal-like cells of other organs, the human airway basal
cell signature has features not previously associated with this cell type, including a unique pattern of genes encoding extracellular matrix components, G protein-coupled receptors, neuroactive ligands and receptors, and ion channels. Conclusion/Significance The human airway epithelial basal cell signature identified in the present study provides novel insights into the molecular phenotype and biology of the stem
Evolutionary stasis in pollen morphogenesis due to natural selection.
One new species of the subgenus Hexatoma (Eriocera) Macquart (Diptera,
Limoniidae) from China with a key to Chinese species
PubMed Central
Men, Qiu-Lei; Yu, Dao-Ping
2015-01-01
Abstract One new species of the subgenus Eriocera Macquart, 1838, Hexatoma (Eriocera) cleopatroides Men, sp. n. (Southern China: Anhui) is described and illustrated. A key to all of 78 known species from China in the subgenus is
provided, which was solely based on literatures. The new species is similar to Hexatoma (Eriocera) cleopatra Alexander, 1933, but distinguishes from the latter by the prescutum entirely black with two ill-defined gray stripes, by the legs with fore and middle femora brown in basal half, black in apical half, with hind femora brown in basal one-fourth, and by the wings with cells c and sc more yellowish brown than the ground color. PMID:25685007
Implications of basal micro-earthquakes and tremor for ice stream mechanics: Stick-slip basal sliding and till erosion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barcheck, C. Grace;
Tulaczyk, Slawek; Schwartz, Susan Y.; Walter, Jacob I.; Winberry, J. Paul
2018-03-01
The Whillans Ice Plain (WIP) is unique among Antarctic ice streams because it moves by stick-slip. The conditions allowing stick-slip and its importance in controlling ice dynamics remain uncertain. Local basal seismicity previously observed during unstable slip is a clue to the mechanism of ice stream stick-slip and a window into current basal conditions, but the spatial
extent and importance of this basal seismicity are unknown. We analyze data from a 2010-2011 ice-plain-wide seismic and GPS network to show that basal micro-seismicity correlates with large-scale patterns in ice stream slip behavior: Basal seismicity is common where the ice moves the least between unstable slip events, with small discrete basal micro-earthquakes happening within 10s of km of the central stick-slip nucleation area and emergent
basal tremor occurring downstream of this area. Basal seismicity is largely absent in surrounding areas, where inter-slip creep rates are high. The large seismically active area suggests that a frictional sliding law that can accommodate stick-slip may be appropriate for ice stream beds on regional scales. Variability in seismic behavior over inter-station distances of 1-10 km indicates heterogeneity in local bed conditions and frictional complexity. WIP unstable slips
may nucleate when stick-slip basal earthquake patches fail over a large area. We present a conceptual model in which basal seismicity results from slip-weakening frictional failure of over-consolidated till as it is eroded and mobilized into deforming till.
Brain and sense organ
anatomy and histology of two species of phyletically basal non-Antarctic thornfishes of the Antarctic suborder Notothenioidei (Perciformes: Bovichtidae).
PubMed
Eastman, Joseph T; Lannoo, Michael J
2007-06-01
The predominantly non-Antarctic family Bovichtidae is phyletically basal within the perciform suborder Notothenioidei, the
dominant component of the Antarctic fish fauna. In this article we focus on the South Atlantic bovichtids Bovichtus diacanthus, the klipfish from tide pools at Tristan da Cunha, and Cottoperca gobio, the frogmouth from the Patagonian shelf and Falkland Islands. We document the anatomy and histology of the brains, olfactory apparatus, retina, and cephalic lateral line system. We also use the microvascular casting agent Microfil to examine ocular vascular structures. We provide detailed drawings
of the brains and cranial nerves of both species. Typical of perciforms, the brains of both species have a well-developed tectum and telencephalon and robust thalamic nuclei. The telencephalon of C. gobio is prominently lobed, with the dorsomedial nucleus more conspicuous than in any other notothenioid. The corpus cerebelli is relatively small and upright and, unlike other notothenioids, has prominent transverse sulci on the dorsal and caudal surfaces. Areas for lateral
line mechanoreception (eminentia granularis and crista cerebellaris) are also conspicuous but olfactory, gustatory, and somatosensory areas are less prominent. The anterior lateral line nerve complex is larger than the posterior lateral line nerve in B. diacanthus, and in their cephalic lateral line systems both species possess branched membranous tubules (which do not contain neuromasts) with small pores. These are especially complex in B. diacanthus where they become increasingly
branched and more highly pored in progressively larger specimens. Superficial neuromasts are sparse. Both species have duplex (cone and rod) retinae that are 1.25-fold thicker and have nearly 5-fold more photoreceptors and than those of most Antarctic notothenioids. Convergence ratios are also high for bovichtids. Bovichtus diacanthus has a yellow intraocular filter in the dorsal aspect of the cornea. Both
Genome of the long-living sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.).
PubMed
Ming, Ray; VanBuren, Robert; Liu, Yanling; Yang, Mei; Han, Yuepeng; Li, Lei-Ting; Zhang, Qiong; Kim, Min-Jeong; Schatz, Michael C; Campbell,
Michael; Li, Jingping; Bowers, John E; Tang, Haibao; Lyons, Eric; Ferguson, Ann A; Narzisi, Giuseppe; Nelson, David R; Blaby-Haas, Crysten E; Gschwend, Andrea R; Jiao, Yuannian; Der, Joshua P; Zeng, Fanchang; Han, Jennifer; Min, Xiang Jia; Hudson, Karen A; Singh, Ratnesh; Grennan, Aleel K; Karpowicz, Steven J; Watling, Jennifer R; Ito, Kikukatsu; Robinson, Sharon A; Hudson, Matthew E; Yu, Qingyi; Mockler, Todd C; Carroll, Andrew; Zheng, Yun; Sunkar, Ramanjulu; Jia, Ruizong; Chen, Nancy; Arro,
Jie; Wai, Ching Man; Wafula, Eric; Spence, Ashley; Han, Yanni; Xu, Liming; Zhang, Jisen; Peery, Rhiannon; Haus, Miranda J; Xiong, Wenwei; Walsh, James A; Wu, Jun; Wang, Ming-Li; Zhu, Yun J; Paull, Robert E; Britt, Anne B; Du, Chunguang; Downie, Stephen R; Schuler, Mary A; Michael, Todd P; Long, Steve P; Ort, Donald R; Schopf, J William; Gang, David R; Jiang, Ning; Yandell, Mark; dePamphilis, Claude W; Merchant, Sabeeha S; Paterson, Andrew H; Buchanan, Bob B; Li, Shaohua; Shen-Miller, Jane
2013-05-10
Sacred lotus is a basaleudicot with agricultural, medicinal, cultural and religious importance. It was domesticated in Asia about 7,000 years ago, and cultivated for its rhizomes and seeds as a food crop. It is particularly noted for its 1,300-year seed longevity and exceptional water repellency, known as the lotus effect. The latter property is due to the nanoscopic closely packed protuberances of its self-cleaning leaf surface, which have been adapted for the
manufacture of a self-cleaning industrial paint, Lotusan. The genome of the China Antique variety of the sacred lotus was sequenced with Illumina and 454 technologies, at respective depths of 101× and 5.2×. The final assembly has a contig N50 of 38.8 kbp and a scaffold N50 of 3.4 Mbp, and covers 86.5% of the estimated 929 Mbp total genome size. The genome notably lacks the paleo-triplication observed in other eudicots, but reveals a lineage-specific duplication. The genome has
evidence of slow evolution, with a 30% slower nucleotide mutation rate than observed in grape. Comparisons of the available sequenced genomes suggest a minimum gene set for vascular plants of 4,223 genes. Strikingly, the sacred lotus has 16 COG2132 multi-copper oxidase family proteins with root-specific expression; these are involved in root meristem phosphate starvation, reflecting adaptation to limited nutrient availability in an aquatic environment. The slow nucleotide substitution rate makes
the sacred lotus a better resource than the current standard, grape, for reconstructing the pan-eudicot genome, and should therefore accelerate comparative analysis between eudicots and monocots.
Motor functions of the basal ganglia.
PubMed
Phillips, J G; Bradshaw, J L; Iansek, R; Chiu, E
1993-01-01
A study of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease can provide an indication of the motor functions of the basal ganglia. Basal-ganglia diseases affect voluntary movement and can cause involuntary movement. Deficits are often manifested during the coordination of fine multi-joint
movements (e.g., handwriting). The disturbances of motor control (e.g. akinesia, bradykinesia) caused by basal-ganglia disorders are illustrated. Data suggest that the basal ganglia play an important role in the automatic execution of serially ordered complex movements.
Teachers' Decisions and Basal Reader Teachers' Manuals.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Page, William D.
Five speculations can be
made about basal-series reading instruction: if it sells well, it may be bad; basal series may be based on marketing principles rather than educational principles; possession of a basal series by a school district tells llittle or nothing about the instruction in the school district that owns it; stories in basal series…
Transcriptome Analysis of Cell Wall and NAC Domain Transcription Factor Genes during Elaeis guineensis Fruit Ripening: Evidence for Widespread Conservation within Monocot and Eudicot Lineages
The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), a monocotyledonous species in the family Arecaceae, has an extraordinarily oil rich fleshy
mesocarp, and presents an original model to examine the ripening processes and regulation in this particular monocot fruit. Histochemical analysis and cell parameter measurements revealed cell wall and middle lamella expansion and degradation during ripening and in response to ethylene. Cell wall related transcript profiles suggest a transition from synthesis to degradation is under transcriptional control during ripening, in particular a switch from cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin
synthesis to hydrolysis and degradation. The data provide evidence for the transcriptional activation of expansin, polygalacturonase, mannosidase, beta-galactosidase, and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase proteins in the ripening oil palm mesocarp, suggesting widespread conservation of these activities during ripening for monocotyledonous and eudicotyledonous fruit types. Profiling of the most abundant oil palm polygalacturonase (EgPG4) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase
(ACO) transcripts during development and in response to ethylene demonstrated both are sensitive markers of ethylene production and inducible gene expression during mesocarp ripening, and provide evidence for a conserved regulatory module between ethylene and cell wall pectin degradation. A comprehensive analysis of NAC transcription factors confirmed at least 10 transcripts from diverse NAC domain clades are expressed in the mesocarp during ripening, four of which are induced by ethylene
treatment, with the two most inducible (EgNAC6 and EgNAC7) phylogenetically similar to the tomato NAC-NOR master-ripening regulator. Overall, the results provide evidence that despite the phylogenetic distance of the oil palm within the family Arecaceae from the most extensively studied monocot banana fruit, it appears ripening of divergent monocot and eudicot fruit lineages are
A Comparative Study of Ethylene Growth Response Kinetics in Eudicots and Monocots Reveals a Role for Gibberellin in Growth Inhibition and Recovery1[W][OA
PubMed Central
Kim, Joonyup; Wilson, Rebecca L.; Case, J. Brett; Binder, Brad M.
2012-01-01
Time-lapse imaging of dark-grown Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) hypocotyls has revealed new aspects about ethylene signaling. This study expands upon these results by examining ethylene growth response kinetics of seedlings of several plant species. Although the response kinetics varied
between the eudicots studied, all had prolonged growth inhibition for as long as ethylene was present. In contrast, with continued application of ethylene, white millet (Panicum miliaceum) seedlings had a rapid and transient growth inhibition response, rice (Oryza sativa ‘Nipponbare’) seedlings had a slow onset of growth stimulation, and barley (Hordeum vulgare) had a transient growth inhibition response followed, after a delay, by a prolonged inhibition response. Growth stimulation
in rice correlated with a decrease in the levels of rice ETHYLENE INSENSTIVE3-LIKE2 (OsEIL2) and an increase in rice F-BOX DOMAIN AND LRR CONTAINING PROTEIN7 transcripts. The gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol caused millet seedlings to have a prolonged growth inhibition response when ethylene was applied. A transient ethylene growth inhibition response has previously been reported for Arabidopsis ethylene insensitive3-1 (ein3-1) eil1-1 double mutants. Paclobutrazol caused
these mutants to have a prolonged response to ethylene, whereas constitutive GA signaling in this background eliminated ethylene responses. Sensitivity to paclobutrazol inversely correlated with the levels of EIN3 in Arabidopsis. Wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings treated with paclobutrazol and mutants deficient in GA levels or signaling had a delayed growth recovery after ethylene removal. It is interesting to note that ethylene caused alterations in gene expression that are predicted to increase
GA levels in the ein3-1 eil1-1 seedlings. These results indicate that ethylene affects GA levels leading to modulation of ethylene growth inhibition kinetics. PMID:22977279
Genetic variation in basal area increment phenology and its correlation with growth rate in loblolly and slash pine
families and clones
Treesearch
Veronica I. Emhart; Timothy A. Martin; Timothy L. White; Dudley A. Huber
2006-01-01
We quantified basal area increment phenology over a 2-year period in one loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and four slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) full-sib families propagated as rooting cuttings. In 2002, basal area growth started in March
and stopped in October for both species, while in 2003, initiation and cessation occurred 2...
Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome
MedlinePlus
... develops. Some individuals may have thousands of basal cell cancers in areas of skin that are exposed to ... have been approved to treat people with basal cell cancers that have spread in the body or that ...
Metastatic giant basal cell carcinoma: a case
report.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer, characterised by a slow growing behavior, metastasis are extremely rare, and it occurs in less than 0, 1% of all cases. Giant basal
cell carcinoma is a rare form of basal cell carcinoma, more aggressive and defined as a tumor measuring more than 5 cm at its largest diameter. Only 1% of all basal cell carcinoma develops to a giant basal cell carcinoma, resulting of patient's negligence. Giant basal cell carcinoma is associated with higher potential of metastasis and even death, compared to ordinary basal cell carcinoma. We report a case of giant
basal cell carcinoma metastaticin lung occurring in a 79 years old male patient, with a fatal evolution after one course of systemic chemotherapy. Giant basal cell carcinoma is a very rare entity, early detection of these tumors could prevent metastasis occurrence and improve the prognosis of this malignancy.
Basal thumb arthritis
PubMed Central
Dias, Richard; Chandrasenan, Jeevan; Rajaratnam, Vaikunthan; Burke, Frank D
2007-01-01
Basal
thumb arthritis is a common condition seen in hand clinics across the United Kingdom and is often associated with other pathological conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and scaphotrapezial arthritis. Typically, patients complain of pain localised to the base of the thumb. This pain is often activity related, particularly after excessive use involving forceful pinch. A detailed history and examination is normally all that is needed to make the diagnosis. Provocative manoeuvres may be
helpful in localising symptoms to the basal joint with degenerative changes or synovitis. Radiographs are useful for confirming the diagnosis and staging the disease in order to plan for surgery. The mainstay of initial treatment of basal thumb arthritis of any stage is activity modifications, rest, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, exercises and splinting. A variety of surgical procedures are available to treat the condition when conservative measures have failed,
in order to control symptoms and improve function. We review the current literature and discuss the clinical aspects of this condition, staging, and treatment options available, and the difficulties treating this group of patients. PMID:17267677
Spines vs. microspines: an overview of the sculpture exine in
selected basal and derived Asteraceae with focus on Asteroideae.
PubMed
Tellería, María C
2017-11-01
This study presents a detailed examination of the echinate and microechinate sculpturing in relation to the size of pollen grains in 31 selected species of Asteraceae belonging to the subfamilies Barnadesioideae, Mutisioideae, Carduoideae and
Asteroideae. The aims were to recognize sculpturing patterns, under LM and SEM, within large and small pollen of both basal and derived species and to explore the features that could have taxonomic value to apply in palynological disciplines. The detailed examination of the exine surface showed both the relevance and limits of sculptural patterns for taxonomy. Under LM, the microechinate sculpture gave little taxonomic information, whereas in the echinate sculpture,
three exine types and two subtypes were recognized. Type I included microechinate exine, which is commonly present in large pollen grains of the basal lineages. Types II (subtypes IIa and IIb) and III included echinate and smaller pollen grains. In these types, spines were always regularly arranged and, were characterized by the length, shape, tip, perforations and distribution. Type IIa included more or less conical spines usually with a distended base, less than 4 µm in
length, present in species of different tribes like Astereae, Eupatorieae, Helenieae, Gnaphalieae, Senecioideae and Heliantheae to a lesser extent. Type IIb includes slender spines with narrower bases, longer than 4 µm, present in species of Coreopsideae, Heliantheae, Tageteae and Eupatorieae to a lesser extent. Type III included spines with swollen base, blunt tip and perforations over their entire surface. This type was present in only one of the
basalspecies-Carduus thoermeri-and in one species of the derived tribe Helenieae, Gaillardia megapotamica. Probably, this is due to evolutionary convergence.
Tree species diversity and its relationship to stand parameters and geomorphology features in the
eastern Black Sea region forests of Turkey.
PubMed
Ozcelik, Ramazan; Gul, Altay Ugur; Merganic, Jan; Merganicova, Katarina
2008-05-01
We studied the effects of stand parameters (crown closure, basal area, stand volume, age, mean stand diameter number of trees, and heterogeneity index) and geomorphology features (elevation, aspect and slope) on tree
species diversity in an example of untreated natural mixed forest stands in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Tree species diversity and basal area heterogeneity in forest ecosystems are quantified using the Shannon-Weaver and Simpson indices. The relationship between tree species diversity basal area heterogeneity stand parameters and geomorphology features are examined using regression analysis. Our work revealed that the
relationship between tree species diversity and stand parameters is loose with a correlation coefficient between 0.02 and 0.70. The correlation of basal area heterogeneity with stand parameters fluctuated between 0.004 and 0.77 (R2). According to our results, stands with higher tree species diversity are characterised by higher mean stand diameter number of diameter classes, basal area and lower homogeneity index value. Considering the effect
of geomorphology features on tree species or basal area heterogeneity we found that all investigated relationships are loose with R < or = 0.24. A significant correlation was detected only between tree species diversity and aspect. Future work is required to verify the detected trends in behaviour of tree species diversity if it is to estimate from the usual forest stand parameters and topography characteristics.
Photodynamic therapy for basal cell carcinoma.
PubMed
Fargnoli, Maria Concetta; Peris, Ketty
2015-11-01
Topical photodynamic therapy is an effective and safe noninvasive treatment for
low-risk basal cell carcinoma, with the advantage of an excellent cosmetic outcome. Efficacy of photodynamic therapy in basal cell carcinoma is supported by substantial research and clinical trials. In this article, we review the procedure, indications and clinical evidences for the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.
Red Dot Basal Cell Carcinoma: Report of Cases and Review of This Unique Presentation of Basal Cell Carcinoma.
PubMed
Cohen, Philip R
2017-03-22
Red dot basal cell
carcinoma is a unique variant of basal cell carcinoma. Including the three patients described in this report, red dot basal cell carcinoma has only been described in seven individuals. This paper describes the features of two males and one female with red dot basal cell carcinoma and reviews the characteristics of other patients with this clinical subtype of basal cell carcinoma. A 70-year-old male developed a pearly-colored papule with a red
dot in the center on his nasal tip. A 71-year-old male developed a red dot surrounded by a flesh-colored papule on his left nostril. Lastly, a 74-year-old female developed a red dot within an area of erythema on her left mid back. Biopsy of the lesions all showed nodular and/or superficial basal cell carcinoma. Correlation of the clinical presentation and pathology established the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma. The tumors were treated by excision using the
Mohs surgical technique. Pubmed was searched with the keyword: basal, cell, cancer, carcinoma, dot, red, and skin. The papers generated by the search and their references were reviewed. Red dot basal cell carcinoma has been described in three females and two males; the gender was not reported in two patients. The tumor was located on the nose (five patients), back (one patient) and thigh (one patient). Cancer presented as a solitary small red macule or papule; often,
the carcinoma was surrounded by erythema or a flesh-colored papule. Although basal cell carcinomas usually do not blanch after a glass microscope slide is pressed against them, the red dot basal cell carcinoma blanched after diascopy in two of the patients, resulting in a delay of diagnosis in one of these individuals. Dermoscopy may be a useful non-invasive modality for evaluating skin lesions when the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma is
considered. Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice; in some of the patients, the ratio of the area of the postoperative wound to that
Red Dot Basal Cell Carcinoma: Report of Cases and Review of This Unique Presentation of
Basal Cell Carcinoma
PubMed Central
2017-01-01
Red dot basal cell carcinoma is a unique variant of basal cell carcinoma. Including the three patients described in this report, red dot basal cell carcinoma has only been described in seven individuals. This paper describes the features of two males and one female with red dot
basal cell carcinoma and reviews the characteristics of other patients with this clinical subtype of basal cell carcinoma. A 70-year-old male developed a pearly-colored papule with a red dot in the center on his nasal tip. A 71-year-old male developed a red dot surrounded by a flesh-colored papule on his left nostril. Lastly, a 74-year-old female developed a red dot within an area of erythema on her left mid back. Biopsy of the lesions all showed nodular and/or
superficial basal cell carcinoma. Correlation of the clinical presentation and pathology established the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma. The tumors were treated by excision using the Mohs surgical technique. Pubmed was searched with the keyword: basal, cell, cancer, carcinoma, dot, red, and skin. The papers generated by the search and their references were reviewed. Red dot basal cell carcinoma has been described in three females and
two males; the gender was not reported in two patients. The tumor was located on the nose (five patients), back (one patient) and thigh (one patient). Cancer presented as a solitary small red macule or papule; often, the carcinoma was surrounded by erythema or a flesh-colored papule. Although basal cell carcinomas usually do not blanch after a glass microscope slide is pressed against them, the red dot basal cell carcinoma blanched after diascopy in two of the patients,
resulting in a delay of diagnosis in one of these individuals. Dermoscopy may be a useful non-invasive modality for evaluating skin lesions when the diagnosis of red dot basal cell carcinoma is considered. Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice; in some of the patients, the ratio of the area of the postoperative wound to that
Basal Plane Affinity of an Insect Antifreeze Protein
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pertaya, N.; Gauthier, S. Y.; Davies, P. L.; Braslavsky, I.
2007-03-01
sbwAFP is a powerful
antifreeze protein (AFP) with high thermal hysteresis activity that protects spruce budworm (sbw) from freezing during harsh winters in the spruce and fir forests of USA and Canada. Different types of antifreeze proteins have been found in many other species and have potential applications in cryomedicine and cryopreservation. When an ice crystal is cooled in the presence of AFP below the non-equilibrium freezing point the crystal will suddenly and rapidly grow in specific
directions. Hyperactive antifreezes like sbwAFP expand perpendicular to the c-axis (in the plane of the a-axes), whereas moderately active AFPs, like type III from fish, grow in the direction parallel to the c-axis. It has been proposed that the basis for hyperactivity of certain AFPs is that they bind and accumulate on the basal plane to inhibit c-axial growth. By putting fluorescent tags on these two types of AFPs we have been able to directly visualize the binding of different
types of AFPs to ice surfaces. We do indeed find that the insect AFP accumulates on the basal plane of an ice crystal while type III AFP does not. Supported by CIHR and BNTI.
A classification scheme for alternative oxidases reveals the taxonomic distribution and evolutionary history of the
enzyme in angiosperms.
PubMed
Costa, José Hélio; McDonald, Allison E; Arnholdt-Schmitt, Birgit; Fernandes de Melo, Dirce
Characterization
of the basal angiosperm Aristolochia fimbriata: a potential experimental system for genetic studies
PubMed Central
2013-01-01
Background Previous studies in basal angiosperms have provided insight into the diversity within the angiosperm lineage and helped to polarize analyses of flowering plant evolution. However, there is still not an experimental system for
genetic studies among basal angiosperms to facilitate comparative studies and functional investigation. It would be desirable to identify a basal angiosperm experimental system that possesses many of the features found in existing plant model systems (e.g., Arabidopsis and Oryza). Results We have considered all basal angiosperm families for general characteristics important for experimental systems, including availability to the scientific community, growth
habit, and membership in a large basal angiosperm group that displays a wide spectrum of phenotypic diversity. Most basal angiosperms are woody or aquatic, thus are not well-suited for large scale cultivation, and were excluded. We further investigated members of Aristolochiaceae for ease of culture, life cycle, genome size, and chromosome number. We demonstrated self-compatibility for Aristolochia elegans and A. fimbriata, and transformation with a GFP reporter
construct for Saruma henryi and A. fimbriata. Furthermore, A. fimbriata was easily cultivated with a life cycle of just three months, could be regenerated in a tissue culture system, and had one of the smallest genomes among basal angiosperms. An extensive multi-tissue EST dataset was produced for A. fimbriata that includes over 3.8 million 454 sequence reads. Conclusions Aristolochia fimbriata has numerous features that facilitate genetic studies and is suggested as a potential
model system for use with a wide variety of technologies. Emerging genetic and genomic tools for A. fimbriata and closely related species can aid the investigation of floral biology, developmental genetics, biochemical pathways important in plant-insect interactions as well as human health, and various other features present in early angiosperms
Impact of Basal Conditions on Grounding-Line Retreat
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Koellner, S. J.; Parizek, B. R.; Alley, R. B.; Muto, A.; Holschuh, N.; Nowicki, S.
2017-12-01
An
often-made assumption included in ice-sheet models used for sea-level projections is that basal rheology is constant throughout the domain of the simulation. The justification in support of this assumption is that physical data for determining basal rheology is limited and a constant basal flow law can adequately approximate current as well as past behavior of an ice-sheet. Prior studies indicate that beneath Thwaites Glacier (TG) there is a
ridge-and-valley bedrock structure which likely promotes deformation of soft tills within the troughs and sliding, more akin to creep, over the harder peaks; giving rise to a spatially variable basal flow law. Furthermore, it has been shown that the stability of an outlet glacier varies with the assumed basal rheology, so accurate projections almost certainly need to account for basal conditions. To test the impact of basal conditions on
grounding-line evolution forced by ice-shelf perturbations, we modified the PSU 2-D flowline model to enable the inclusion of spatially variable basal rheology along an idealized bedrock profile akin to TG. Synthetic outlet glacier "data" were first generated under steady-state conditions assuming a constant basal flow law and a constant basal friction coefficient field on either a linear or bumpy sloping bed. In following standard procedures, a suite of
models were then initialized by assuming different basal rheologies and then determining the basal friction coefficients that produce surface velocities matching those from the synthetic "data". After running each of these to steady state, the standard and full suite of models were forced by drastically reducing ice-shelf buttressing through side-shear and prescribed basal-melting perturbations. In agreement with previous findings, results suggest a more
plastic basal flow law enhances stability in response to ice-shelf perturbations by flushing ice from farther upstream to sustain the grounding-zone mass balance required to prolong the
Feline mammary basal-like adenocarcinomas: a potential model for human triple-negative breast
cancer (TNBC) with basal-like subtype.
PubMed
Wiese, David A; Thaiwong, Tuddow; Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, Vilma; Kiupel, Matti
2013-09-03
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an immunophenotype defined by the absence of immunolabeling for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 protein,
has a highly aggressive behavior. A subpopulation of TNBCs exhibit a basal-like morphology with immunohistochemical positivity for cytokeratins 5/6 (CK5/6) and/or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and have a high incidence of BRCA (breast cancer susceptibility) mutations. Feline mammary adenocarcinomas (FMAs) are highly malignant and share a similar basal-like subtype. The purpose of this study was to classify FMAs according to the current human classification of
breast cancer that includes evaluation of ER, PR and HER2 status and expression of basal CK 5/6 and EGFR. Furthermore, we selected triple negative, basal-like FMAs to screen for BRCA mutations similar to those described in human TNBC. Twenty four FMAs were classified according to the current human histologic breast cancer classification including immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ER, PR HER2, CK5/6 and EGFR. Genetic alteration and loss of heterozygosity of BRCA1 and BRCA2
genes were analyzed in triple negative, basal-like FMAs. IHC for ER, PR and HER2 identified 14 of the 24 (58%) FMAs as a triple negative. Furthermore, 11 of these 14 (79%) triple negative FMAs had a basal-like subtype. However, no genetic abnormalities were detected in BRCA1 and BRCA2 by direct sequencing and loss of heterozygosity analysis. FMAs are highly aggressive neoplasms that are commonly triple negative and exhibit a basal-like morphology. This is
similar to human TNBC that are also commonly classified as a basal-like subtype. While sequencing of a select number of triple negative, basal-like FMAs and testing for loss of heterozygosity of BRCA1 and BRCA2 did not identify mutations similar to those described in human TNBC, further in-depth evaluation is required to elucidate a potential role of BRCA
Gorlin-Goltz
syndrome or basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by skeletal anomalies, numerous cysts observed in the jaw, and multiple basal cell carcinoma of the skin, which may be accompanied by falx cerebri calcification. Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly skin tumor with slow clinical course and low metastatic potential. Its concomitance with Gorlin syndrome, resulting from a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene, may
substantially change morbidity and mortality. A 66-year-old male patient with a history of recurrent basal cell carcinoma was presented with exophthalmus in the left eye and the lesions localized in the left lateral orbita and left zygomatic area. His physical examination revealed hearing loss, gapped teeth, highly arched palate, and frontal prominence. Left orbital mass, cystic masses at frontal and ethmoidal sinuses, and multiple pulmonary nodules were detected at CT scans.
Basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed from biopsy of ethmoid sinus. Based on the clinical and typical radiological characteristics (falx cerebri calcification, bifid costa, and odontogenic cysts), the patient was diagnosed with metastatic skin basal cell carcinoma accompanied by Gorlin syndrome. Our case is a basal cell carcinoma with aggressive course accompanying a rarely seen syndrome.
Basal-body-associated macromolecules: a continuing debate.
PubMed
Pierre Mignot, J; Brugerolle, G; Didier, P; Bornens, M
1993-07-01
Controversy over the possibility that
centrioles/basal bodies contain nucleic acids has overshadowed results demonstrating other macromolecules in the lumen of these organelles. Glycogen particles, which are known to be present within the lumen of the centriole/basal body of sperm cells, have now been found in basal bodies of protists belonging to three different groups. Here, we extend the debate on a role for RNA in basal body/centriole function and speculate on the origin and
the function of centriolar glycogen.
A window of opportunity for climate-change adaptation: Easing tree mortality by reducing forest basal area
USGS Publications Warehouse
Bradford, John B.;
Bell, David M.
2017-01-01
Increasing aridity as a result of climate change is expected to exacerbate tree mortality. Reducing forest basal area – the cross-sectional area of tree stems within a given ground area – can decrease tree competition, which may reduce drought-induced tree mortality. However, neither the magnitude of expected mortality increases, nor the potential effectiveness of basal area reduction, has been quantified in dryland forests such as
those of the drought-prone Southwest US. We used thousands of repeatedly measured forest plots to show that unusually warm and dry conditions are related to high tree mortality rates and that mortality is positively related to basal area. Those relationships suggest that while increasing high temperature extremes forecasted by climate models may lead to elevated tree mortality during the 21st century, future tree mortality might be partly ameliorated by reducing stand
basal area. This adaptive forest management strategy may provide a window of opportunity for forest managers and policy makers to guide forest transitions to species and/or genotypes more suited to future climates.
Plastome Sequences of Lygodium japonicum and Marsilea crenata Reveal the Genome Organization Transformation from Basal Ferns to Core Leptosporangiates
Previous studies have shown that core leptosporangiates, the most species-rich group of extant ferns (monilophytes), have a distinct plastid genome (plastome) organization pattern from basal fern lineages. However, the details of genome structure transformation from ancestral
ferns to core leptosporangiates remain unclear because of limited plastome data available. Here, we have determined the complete chloroplast genome sequences of Lygodium japonicum (Lygodiaceae), a member of schizaeoid ferns (Schizaeales), and Marsilea crenata (Marsileaceae), a representative of heterosporous ferns (Salviniales). The two species represent the sister and the basal lineages of core leptosporangiates, respectively, for which the plastome sequences are
currently unavailable. Comparative genomic analysis of all sequenced fern plastomes reveals that the gene order of L. japonicum plastome occupies an intermediate position between that of basal ferns and core leptosporangiates. The two exons of the fern ndhB gene have a unique pattern of intragenic copy number variances. Specifically, the substitution rate heterogeneity between the two exons is congruent with their copy number changes, confirming the constraint role that inverted
repeats may play on the substitution rate of chloroplast gene sequences. PMID:23821521
Report Card on Basal Readers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Goodman, Kenneth S.; And Others
This report examines the nature of the modern basal reader, its economics, and use. First, the report provides a history showing how the confluence of business principles, positivistic science, and behavioral psychology led to the transformation of reading textbooks into basal
readers. Next, the report examines objectives and subjective factors…
Limited evolutionary divergence of seedlings after the domestication of plant species.
Discourse Types in Canadian Basal Reading Programs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Murphy, Sharon
This study examined the authorship and discourse types of
Canadian basal anthologies to determine whether the lingering centrality of the basal anthology in Canadian programs controls students and teachers by controlling language and reading. Each selection within five Canadian basal series (Gage Expressways II, Ginn Journeys, Holt Impressions,…
SPRUCE S1 Bog Tree Basal Area and Understory Community Composition Assessed in the Southern and Northern Ends of the S1 Bog
DOE Data Explorer
Iversen, C. M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak
Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Garrett, A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Martin, A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Turetsky, M. R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Norby, R. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Childs, J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A; Ontl, T. A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A
2017-01-01
The composition and cover of woody and understory species, along with the timing of stem growth, were characterized near minirhizotron installations at the south and north ends of the S1 bog in order to understand the relationship between root dynamics and the surrounding plant communities. There are three data streams: (1) Woody
speciesbasal area -- the number, basal area, and distance from the center point of all trees within a 5-m radius of each minirhizotron pair, which were quantified in 2011, (2) Understory cover -- the understory vascular plant community composition and percent cover, which were surveyed in 1 m2 areas at four cardinal directions adjacent to each pair of minirhizotrons in June 2011, and (3) Stem growth -- the basal area increment (stem growth) of
nearby trees, which was quantified using automated or manual dendrobands in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Sclerodermiform basal cell carcinoma: how much can we rely on dermatoscopy to differentiate from non-aggressive basal cell carcinomas? Analysis of 1256 cases.
PubMed
Husein-ElAhmed, Husein
2018-03-01
The behaviour of each basal cell carcinoma is known to be different according to the histological growth pattern. Among these aggressive lesions, sclerodermiform basal cell carcinomas are the most common type. This is a challenging-to-treat lesion due to its deep tissue invasion, rapid growth, risk of metastasis and overall poor
prognosis if not diagnosed in early stages. To investigate if sclerodermiform basal cell carcinomas are diagnosed later compared to non-sclerodermiform basal cell carcinoma Method: All lesions excised from 2000 to 2010 were included. A pathologist classified the lesions in two cohorts: one with specimens of non-aggressive basal cell carcinoma (superficial, nodular and pigmented), and other with sclerodermiform basal cell carcinoma. For each
lesion, we collected patient's information from digital medical records regarding: gender, age when first attending the clinic and the tumor location. 1256 lesions were included, out of which 296 (23.6%) corresponded to sclerodermiform basal cell carcinoma, whereas 960 (76.4%) were non-aggressive subtypes of basal cell carcinoma. The age of diagnosis was: 72.78±12.31 years for sclerodermiform basal cell and 69.26±13.87 years for non-aggressive
basal cell carcinoma (P<.0001). Sclerodermiform basal cell carcinomas are diagnosed on average 3.52 years later than non-aggressive basal cell carcinomas. Sclerodermiform basal cell carcinomas were diagnosed 3.40 years and 2.34 years later than non-aggressive basal cell carcinomas in younger and older patients respectively (P=.002 and P=.03, respectively). retrospective design. The diagnostic accuracy and primary clinic
conjecture of sclerodermiform basal cell carcinomas is quite low compared to other forms of basal cell carcinoma such as nodular, superficial and pigmented. The dermoscopic vascular patterns, which is the basis for the diagnosis of non-melanocytic nonpigmented skin tumors, may not be particularly useful in identifying sclerodermiform basal cell
Gorlin-Goltz syndrome or basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by skeletal anomalies, numerous cysts observed in the jaw, and multiple basal cell carcinoma of the skin, which may be accompanied by falx cerebri calcification. Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly skin tumor with slow clinical course and low metastatic potential. Its concomitance with Gorlin
syndrome, resulting from a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene, may substantially change morbidity and mortality. A 66-year-old male patient with a history of recurrent basal cell carcinoma was presented with exophthalmus in the left eye and the lesions localized in the left lateral orbita and left zygomatic area. His physical examination revealed hearing loss, gapped teeth, highly arched palate, and frontal prominence. Left orbital mass, cystic masses at frontal and ethmoidal
sinuses, and multiple pulmonary nodules were detected at CT scans. Basal cell carcinoma was diagnosed from biopsy of ethmoid sinus. Based on the clinical and typical radiological characteristics (falx cerebri calcification, bifid costa, and odontogenic cysts), the patient was diagnosed with metastatic skin basal cell carcinoma accompanied by Gorlin syndrome. Our case is a basal cell carcinoma with aggressive course accompanying a rarely seen syndrome.
PMID:25506011
Assessing duplication and loss of APETALA1/FRUITFULL homologs in Ranunculales
Gene duplication and loss provide raw material for evolutionary change within organismal lineages as functional diversification of gene copies provide a mechanism for phenotypic variation. Here we focus on the APETALA1/FRUITFULL MADS-box gene lineage evolution. AP1/FUL genes are angiosperm-specific and have undergone several duplications. By far the most significant one is the core-eudicot duplication resulting in
the euAP1 and euFUL clades. Functional characterization of several euAP1 and euFUL genes has shown that both function in proper floral meristem identity, and axillary meristem repression. Independently, euAP1 genes function in floral meristem and sepal identity, whereas euFUL genes control phase transition, cauline leaf growth, compound leaf morphogenesis and fruit development. Significant functional variation has been detected in the function of pre-duplication basal-eudicot
FUL-like genes, but the underlying mechanisms for change have not been identified. FUL-like genes in the Papaveraceae encode all functions reported for euAP1 and euFUL genes, whereas FUL-like genes in Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) function in inflorescence development and leaf complexity, but not in flower or fruit development. Here we isolated FUL-like genes across the Ranunculales and used phylogenetic approaches to analyze their evolutionary history. We identified an early duplication resulting
in the RanFL1 and RanFL2 clades. RanFL1 genes were present in all the families sampled and are mostly under strong negative selection in the MADS, I and K domains. RanFL2 genes were only identified from Eupteleaceae, Papaveraceae s.l., Menispermaceae and Ranunculaceae and show relaxed purifying selection at the I and K domains. We discuss how asymmetric sequence diversification, new motifs, differences in codon substitutions and likely protein-protein interactions resulting from this
Ranunculiid-specific duplication can help explain the functional differences among basal-eudicot FUL-like genes
Cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration.
PubMed
Riley, D E;
Lang, A E; Lewis, A; Resch, L; Ashby, P; Hornykiewicz, O; Black, S
1990-08-01
We report our experience with 15 patients believed to have cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration. The clinical picture is distinctive, comprising features referable to both cortical and basal ganglionic dysfunction. Characteristic manifestations include cortical sensory loss, focal reflex myoclonus, "alien limb" phenomena, apraxia, rigidity and akinesia, a postural-action tremor,
limb dystonia, hyperreflexia, and postural instability. The asymmetry of symptoms and signs is often striking. Brain imaging may demonstrate greater abnormalities contralateral to the more affected side. Postmortem studies in 2 patients revealed the characteristic pathologic features of swollen, poorly staining (achromatic) neurons and degeneration of cerebral cortex and substantia nigra. Biochemical analysis of 1 brain showed a severe, diffuse loss of dopamine in the striatum. This condition is
more frequent than previously believed, and the diagnosis can be predicted during life on the basis of clinical findings. However, as with other "degenerative" diseases of the nervous system, a definitive diagnosis of cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration requires confirmation by autopsy.
Establishment of zygomorphy on an ontogenic spiral and evolution of perianth in the tribe Delphinieae (Ranunculaceae).
PubMed
Jabbour, Florian; Ronse De Craene, Louis P; Nadot, Sophie; Damerval, Catherine
2009-10-01
Ranunculaceae presents both ancestral and derived floral traits for eudicots, and as such is of potential interest to understand key steps involved in the evolution of zygomorphy in eudicots. Zygomorphy evolved once in Ranunculaceae, in the speciose and derived tribe Delphinieae. This tribe consists of two genera (Aconitum and Delphinium s.l.) comprising more than one-quarter of the species of the family. In this paper, the establishment of zygomorphy
during development was investigated to cast light on the origin and evolution of this morphological novelty. METHODS; The floral developmental sequence of six species of Ranunculaceae, three actinomorphic (Nigella damascena, Aquilegia alpina and Clematis recta) and three zygomorphic (Aconitum napellus, Delphinium staphisagria and D. grandiflorum), was compared. A developmental model was elaborated to break down the successive acquisitions of floral organ identities on the ontogenic
spiral (all the species studied except Aquilegia have a spiral phyllotaxis), giving clues to understanding this complex morphogenesis from an evo-devo point of view. In addition, the evolution of symmetry in Ranunculaceae was examined in conjunction with other traits of flowers and with ecological factors. In the species studied, zygomorphy is established after organogenesis is completed, and is late, compared with other zygomorphic eudicotspecies. Zygomorphy occurs in flowers characterized by a fixed merism and a partially reduced and transformed corolla. It is suggested that shifts in expression of genes controlling the merism, as well as floral symmetry and organ identity, have played a critical role in the evolution of zygomorphy in Delphinieae, while the presence of pollinators able to exploit the peculiar morphology of the flower has been a key factor for the maintenance and diversification of this trait.
Phytoplasma-conserved phyllogen proteins induce phyllody across the Plantae by degrading floral MADS domain proteins.
Schmitt, Oliver; Eipert, Peter; Kettlitz, Richard; Leßmann, Felix; Wree, Andreas
2016-03-01
The basal ganglia of the laboratory rat
consist of a few core regions that are specifically interconnected by efferents and afferents of the central nervous system. In nearly 800 reports of tract-tracing investigations the connectivity of the basal ganglia is documented. The readout of connectivity data and the collation of all the connections of these reports in a database allows to generate a connectome. The collation, curation and analysis of such a huge amount of connectivity data is a great challenge and has not been
performed before (Bohland et al. PloS One 4:e7200, 2009) in large connectomics projects based on meta-analysis of tract-tracing studies. Here, the basal ganglia connectome of the rat has been generated and analyzed using the consistent cross-platform and generic framework neuroVIISAS. Several advances of this connectome meta-study have been made: the collation of laterality data, the network-analysis of connectivity strengths and the assignment of regions to a hierarchically
organized terminology. The basal ganglia connectome offers differences in contralateral connectivity of motoric regions in contrast to other regions. A modularity analysis of the weighted and directed connectome produced a specific grouping of regions. This result indicates a correlation of structural and functional subsystems. As a new finding, significant reciprocal connections of specific network motifs in this connectome were detected. All three principal basal
ganglia pathways (direct, indirect, hyperdirect) could be determined in the connectome. By identifying these pathways it was found that there exist many further equivalent pathways possessing the same length and mean connectivity weight as the principal pathways. Based on the connectome data it is unknown why an excitation pattern may prefer principal rather than other equivalent pathways. In addition to these new findings the local graph-theoretical features of regions of the connectome have
been determined. By
Patterns in seismicity emanating from the bottom of fast-moving ice streams and glaciers may indicate localized patches of higher basal resistance— sometimes called 'sticky spots', or otherwise varying basal properties. These seismogenic basal areas resist an unknown portion of the total driving stress of the Whillans Ice Plain (WIP), in West Antarctica, but may play an important role in the WIP stick-slip cycle and ice stream slowdown. To better
understand the mechanism and importance of basal seismicity beneath the WIP, we analyze seismic data collected by a small aperture (< 3km) network of 8 surface and 5 borehole seismometers installed in the main central sticky spot of the WIP. We use a network beamforming technique to detect and roughly locate thousands of small (magnitude < 0), local basal micro-earthquakes in Dec 2014, and we compare the resulting map of seismicity to ice bottom depth measured by
airborne radar. The number of basal earthquakes per area within the network is spatially heterogeneous, but a pattern of two 400m wide streaks of high seismicity rates is evident, with >50-500 earthquakes detected per 50x50m grid cell in 2 weeks. These seismically active streaks are elongated approximately in the ice flow direction with a spacing of 750m. Independent airborne radar measurements of ice bottom depth from Jan 2013 show a low-amplitude ( 5m) undulation in the
basal topography superposed on a regional gradient in ice bottom depth. The flow-perpendicular wavelength of these low-amplitude undulations is comparable to the spacing of the high seismicity bands, and the streaks of high seismicity intersect local lows in the undulating basal topography. We interpret these seismic and radar observations as showing seismically active sub-ice stream bedforms that are low amplitude and elongated in the direction of ice flow, comparable
to the morphology of mega scale glacial lineations (MSGLs), with high basal seismicity rates observed in the MSGL troughs
Tree species composition affects the abundance of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) in urban forests in Finland.
PubMed
Hamberg, Leena; Lehvävirta, Susanna; Kotze, D Johan; Heikkinen, Juha
Bresler, Scott C; Padwa, Bonnie L; Granter, Scott R
2016-06-01
Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, or
basal cell nevus syndrome (Gorlin syndrome), is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited disorder that is characterized by development of basal cell carcinomas from a young age. Other distinguishing clinical features are seen in a majority of patients, and include keratocystic odontogenic tumors (formerly odontogenic keratocysts) as well as dyskeratotic palmar and plantar pitting. A range of skeletal and other developmental abnormalities are also often seen. The disorder
is caused by defects in hedgehog signaling which result in constitutive pathway activity and tumor cell proliferation. As sporadic basal cell carcinomas also commonly harbor hedgehog pathway aberrations, therapeutic agents targeting key signaling constituents have been developed and tested against advanced sporadically occurring tumors or syndromic disease, leading in 2013 to FDA approval of the first hedgehog pathway-targeted small molecule, vismodegib. The elucidation of the
molecular pathogenesis of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome has resulted in further understanding of the most common human malignancy.
The Kalanchoe genome provides insights into convergent evolution and building blocks of crassulacean acid metabolism
SciTech Connect
Yang, Xiaohan; Hu, Rongbin; Yin, Hengfu
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a specialized photosynthetic adaptation to arid environments, found predominantly in diverse eudicotyledonous (eudicot) and monocotyledonous (monocot) lineages that diverged approximately 135 million years ago. To test whether convergent evolution underpins the independent emergences of CAM, we present de novo genome
assembly and gene expression data for Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, an obligate CAM species that was shown by multigene phylogenetic analysis to represent one of the earliest-diverging lineages of core eudicots. Our combined analysis of K. fedtschenkoi and two monocot CAM species (Ananas comosus and Phalaenopsis equestris) identified signatures of convergence in protein sequence and in themore » diel re-scheduling of genes involved in metabolism and
signaling. Lastly, our results provide significant insight into CAM evolution, facilitating CAM-into-C 3 engineering for enhancing drought tolerance in crops.« less
The Kalanchoe genome provides insights into convergent evolution and building blocks of crassulacean acid
metabolism
DOE PAGES
Yang, Xiaohan; Hu, Rongbin; Yin, Hengfu; ...
2017-12-01
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a specialized photosynthetic adaptation to arid environments, found predominantly in diverse eudicotyledonous (eudicot) and monocotyledonous (monocot) lineages that diverged approximately 135 million years ago. To test whether convergent evolution underpins the independent
emergences of CAM, we present de novo genome assembly and gene expression data for Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, an obligate CAM species that was shown by multigene phylogenetic analysis to represent one of the earliest-diverging lineages of core eudicots. Our combined analysis of K. fedtschenkoi and two monocot CAM species (Ananas comosus and Phalaenopsis equestris) identified signatures of convergence in protein sequence and in themore » diel re-scheduling
of genes involved in metabolism and signaling. Lastly, our results provide significant insight into CAM evolution, facilitating CAM-into-C 3 engineering for enhancing drought tolerance in crops.« less
Basal cell carcinoma
MedlinePlus
... confirm basal cell cancer or other skin cancers. Treatment Treatment depends on the size, depth, and location ... blocks both UVA and UVB light. Use a water-resistant sunscreen. Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes ...
Basal ganglia, movement disorders and deep brain stimulation: advances made through non-human primate research.
PubMed
Wichmann, Thomas; Bergman, Hagai; DeLong, Mahlon R
2018-03-01
Studies in
non-human primates (NHPs) have led to major advances in our understanding of the function of the basal ganglia and of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of hypokinetic movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and hyperkinetic disorders such as chorea and dystonia. Since the brains of NHPs are anatomically very close to those of humans, disease states and the effects of medical and surgical approaches, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), can be more faithfully modeled in NHPs
than in other species. According to the current model of the basal ganglia circuitry, which was strongly influenced by studies in NHPs, the basal ganglia are viewed as components of segregated networks that emanate from specific cortical areas, traverse the basal ganglia, and ventral thalamus, and return to the frontal cortex. Based on the presumed functional domains of the different cortical areas involved, these networks are designated as
'motor', 'oculomotor', 'associative' and 'limbic' circuits. The functions of these networks are strongly modulated by the release of dopamine in the striatum. Striatal dopamine release alters the activity of striatal projection neurons which, in turn, influences the (inhibitory) basal ganglia output. In parkinsonism, the loss of striatal dopamine results in the emergence of oscillatory burst patterns of firing of basal ganglia output neurons, increased synchrony of the
discharge of neighboring basal ganglia neurons, and an overall increase in basal ganglia output. The relevance of these findings is supported by the demonstration, in NHP models of parkinsonism, of the antiparkinsonian effects of inactivation of the motor circuit at the level of the subthalamic nucleus, one of the major components of the basal ganglia. This finding also contributed strongly to the revival of the use of surgical interventions to treat
patients with Parkinson's disease. While ablative procedures were first used for this purpose, they have now been largely
Contemporary Children and Basal Reading Series.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Klebacher, Kathryn F.
Contemporary children must deal with many family problems that children 20 years ago never had to face, including divorce, parental separation, death, working mothers, and economic status. To determine how well current basal reading series reflect the changing American family, the stories of four
basal reading series for grades four, five, and six…
Onychiurid species from Wanda Mountains in China, with descriptions of two new species (Collembola, Onychiuridae)
PubMed Central
Sun, Xin; Wu, Donghui
2014-01-01
Abstract A checklist of onychiurid species from the Wanda Mountains in China is presented. Eighteen species belonging to twelve genera have been found, including two new species. Bionychiurus qinglongensis sp. n. can be easily distinguished from other known species of the genus by the absence of
pseudocelli on Th. I tergum and fewer number of vesicles in postantennal organ. Onychiurus heilongjiangensis sp. n. is diagnosed by pseudocellar formulae as 32/133/33352 dorsally and 3/011/31120 ventrally, parapseudocellar formula as 0/000/111001+1m, ratio of anal spine/unguis as 0.6, unguiculus without inner basal lamella, and male ventral organ absent. PMID:25147452
Studies of contemporary glacier basal ice cryostructures to identify buried basal ice in the permafrost: an example from the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stephani,
E.; Fortier, D.; Kanevskiy, M.; Dillon, M.; Shur, Y.
2007-12-01
In the permafrost, massive ice bodies occur as buried glacier ice, aufeis ice, recrystalized snow, massive segregated ice, injection ice, ice wedges or ice formed in underground cavities ("pool ice", "thermokarst-cave ice"). The origin of massive ice bodies in the permafrost bears considerable implications for the reconstructions of paleoenvironments and paleoclimates. Our work aims to help the permafrost scientists
working on massive icy sediments to distinguish buried basal glacier ice from other types of buried ice. To do so, the properties and structure of contemporary basal ice must be well known. Field investigations at the Matanuska Glacier (Chugach range, South-central Alaska), consisted in descriptions and sampling of natural basal ice exposures. We have used the basal ice facies classification of Lawson (1979) which is simple, easy to use in the
field and provides a good framework for the description of basal ice exposures. Cores were extracted and brought back to the laboratory for water and grain-size analyses. The sediments forming the cryostructure were mostly polymodal, poorly sorted gravelly silt to gravelly fine sand, with mud contents generally over 50%. These data will be used to calibrate three-dimensional (3D) models produced from micro-tomographic scans of basal ice which will produce quantitative
estimates of volumetric ice and sediments contents of basal ice cryostructures. Ultimately, visual qualitative and quantitative characterization of the basal ice components of 3D models together with field observations and laboratory analysis will allow for a new micro-facies and cryostructures classification of the basal ice. Our work will also have applications in glaciology, glacial geology, geomorphology, Quaternary and paleo-climatological studies
based on inferences made from the structure of basal glacier ice. This paper presents the internal composition of the basal ice facies in terms of cryostructures assemblages (Fortier et al.: 2007) and
A new
basal bird from China with implications for morphological diversity in early birds
PubMed Central
Wang, Min; Wang, Xiaoli; Wang, Yan; Zhou, Zhonghe
2016-01-01
The Chinese Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group is the second oldest fossil bird-bearing deposit, only surpassed by Archaeopteryx from the German Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestones. Here we report a new bird,
Chongmingia zhengi gen. et sp. nov., from the Jehol Biota. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Chongmingia zhengi is basal to the dominant Mesozoic avian clades Enantiornithes and Ornithuromorpha, and represents a new basal avialan lineage. This new discovery adds to our knowledge regarding the phylogenetic differentiation and morphological diversity in early avian evolution. The furcula of Chongmingia is rigid (reducing its efficiency), consequently requiring more
power for flight. However, the elongated forelimb and the large deltopectoral crest on the humerus might indicate that the power was available. The unique combination of features present in this species demonstrates that numerous evolutionary experimentations took place in the early evolution of powered flight. The occurrence of gastroliths further confirms that herbivory was common among basal birds. The Jehol birds faced competition with pterosaurs, and occupied
sympatric habitats with non-avian theropods, some of which consumed birds. Thus, avialan herbivory may have reduced ecological competition from carnivorous close relatives and other volant vertebrates early in their evolutionary history. PMID:26806355
New Basal Insulins: a Clinical Perspective
of Their Use in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Novel Treatment Options Beyond Basal Insulin.
PubMed
Frias, Patrick F; Frias, Juan Pablo
2017-08-18
The purpose of this review was to review advances in basal insulin formulations and new treatment options for patients with type 2 diabetes not achieving glycemic targets despite optimized
basal insulin therapy. Advances in basal insulin formulations have resulted in products with increasingly favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, including flatter, peakless action profiles, less inter- and intra-patient variability, and longer duration of activity. These properties have translated to significantly reduced risk of hypoglycemia (particularly during the night) compared with previous generation basal insulins. When optimized
basal insulin therapy is not sufficient to obtain or maintain glycemic goals, various options exist to improve glycemic control, including intensification of insulin therapy with the addition of prandial insulin or changing to pre-mixed insulin and, more recently, the addition of a GLP-1 receptor agonist, either as a separate injection or as a component of one of the new fixed-ratio combinations of a basal insulin and GLP-1 RA. New safer and often more convenient
basal insulins and fixed ratio combinations containing basal insulin (and GLP-1 receptor agonist) are available today for patients with type 2 diabetes not achieving glycemic goals. Head-to-head studies comparing the latest generation basal insulins are underway, and future studies assessing the fixed-ratio combinations will be important to better understand their differentiating features.
Geomicrobiology of basal ice in a temperate glacier: implications for primary microbial production and export, elemental cycling and soil formation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Toubes-Rodrigo,
Mario; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja; Sen, Robin; Elliott, David R.; Cook, Simon J.
2017-04-01
Basal ice is a significant sub-glacial component of glaciers and ice sheets that arises from ice-bedrock/substrate interaction. As a result, basal ice of a glacier retains a distinctive physical and chemical signature characterised by a high sediment- and low bubble-content and selective ionic enrichment. Previous research concluded that sediment entrapped in the
basal ice matrix originates from the bedrock/substrate, and harbours an active microbial community. However, the nature and significance of the microbial community inhabiting basal ice facies remains poorly characterised. This paper reports on an integrated chemical, mineralogical, and microbial community analysis of basal ice in the subglacial environment at Svínafellsjökull, in south-east Iceland. Basal ice sediment supported 10E7 cells g^-1
and, based on glacier velocity and sediment flux, an estimated 10E17 cells a^-1 are exported to the glacier foreland. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene analysis highlighted a glacier basal ice bacterial community dominated by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi. Sequences ascribed to chemolithotrophic-related species (Thiobacillus, Syderoxidans) were highly abundant. Minerological analyses of basal ice sediment confirmed dominant
silicates and iron-containing minerals that represent susceptible substrates open to oxidation by the aforementioned chemolithotrophs. Previous studies have suggested that basal ice could constitute a good analogue for astrobiology. Svínafellsjökull and Mars geology are similar - volcanically derived rocks with a high abundance of silicates and iron-rich minerals, reinforcing this idea. Understanding where the limits of life in extreme environments, such as debris-rich
basal ice, could help to unravel how life on other planets could succeed, and could help to identify which markers to use in order to find it. In dark and isolated basal ice niches, the dominating chemolithotrophic bacterial community are likely to act
Basal area growth, carbon isotope discrimination, and intrinsic ...
EPA Pesticide Factsheets
Many hectares
of intensively managed Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) stands in western North America are fertilized with nitrogen to increase growth rates. Understanding the mechanisms of response facilitates prioritization of stands for treatment. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the short-term basal area growth response to a single application of 224 kg N ha-1 as urea was associated with reduced stable carbon isotope discrimination (∆13C) and
increased intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in a 20-yr-old plantation of Douglas-fir in the Oregon Coast Range, USA. Increment cores were measured to estimate earlywood, latewood, and total basal area increment over a time series from 1997 to 2015. Stable carbon isotope discrimination and iWUE were estimated using earlywood and latewood stable carbon isotope concentrations in tree-ring holocellulose starting seven years before fertilization in early 2009 and ending seven years
after treatment. A highly significant interaction effect between fertilization treatment and year was found for total basal area growth and earlywood basal area increment. Fertilized trees showed significant total basal area growth and earlywood basal area increment in the first (2009) and second (2010) growing seasons after fertilization in 2009. A marginally significant fertilization effect was found for latewood basal area
increment only in the first growing season after treatment. A significant i
Establishment of zygomorphy on an ontogenic spiral and evolution of perianth in the tribe Delphinieae (Ranunculaceae)
PubMed Central
Jabbour, Florian; Ronse De Craene, Louis P.; Nadot, Sophie; Damerval, Catherine
2009-01-01
Background and Aims Ranunculaceae presents both ancestral and derived floral traits for eudicots, and as such is of potential interest to understand key steps involved in the evolution of zygomorphy in eudicots. Zygomorphy evolved once in Ranunculaceae, in the speciose
and derived tribe Delphinieae. This tribe consists of two genera (Aconitum and Delphinium s.l.) comprising more than one-quarter of the species of the family. In this paper, the establishment of zygomorphy during development was investigated to cast light on the origin and evolution of this morphological novelty. Methods The floral developmental sequence of six species of Ranunculaceae, three actinomorphic (Nigella damascena, Aquilegia alpina and Clematis recta) and
three zygomorphic (Aconitum napellus, Delphinium staphisagria and D. grandiflorum), was compared. A developmental model was elaborated to break down the successive acquisitions of floral organ identities on the ontogenic spiral (all the species studied except Aquilegia have a spiral phyllotaxis), giving clues to understanding this complex morphogenesis from an evo-devo point of view. In addition, the evolution of symmetry in Ranunculaceae was examined in conjunction with other
traits of flowers and with ecological factors. Key Results In the species studied, zygomorphy is established after organogenesis is completed, and is late, compared with other zygomorphic eudicotspecies. Zygomorphy occurs in flowers characterized by a fixed merism and a partially reduced and transformed corolla. Conclusions It is suggested that shifts in expression of genes controlling the merism, as well as floral symmetry and organ identity, have played
a critical role in the evolution of zygomorphy in Delphinieae, while the presence of pollinators able to exploit the peculiar morphology of the flower has been a key factor for the maintenance and diversification of this trait. PMID:19608573
Conservation of the abscission signaling peptide IDA during Angiosperm evolution: withstanding genome duplications and gain and loss of the receptors HAE/HSL2
PubMed Central
Stø, Ida M.; Orr, Russell J. S.; Fooyontphanich, Kim; Jin, Xu; Knutsen, Jonfinn M. B.; Fischer, Urs; Tranbarger, Timothy J.; Nordal, Inger; Aalen, Reidunn B.
2015-01-01
The peptide INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA), which signals through the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases HAESA (HAE) and HAESA-LIKE2 (HSL2), controls different cell separation events in Arabidopsis
thaliana. We hypothesize the involvement of this signaling module in abscission processes in other plant species even though they may shed other organs than A. thaliana. As the first step toward testing this hypothesis from an evolutionarily perspective we have identified genes encoding putative orthologs of IDA and its receptors by BLAST searches of publically available protein, nucleotide and genome databases for angiosperms. Genes encoding IDA or IDA-LIKE (IDL) peptides and HSL
proteins were found in all investigated species, which were selected as to represent each angiosperm order with available genomic sequences. The 12 amino acids representing the bioactive peptide in A. thaliana have virtually been unchanged throughout the evolution of the angiosperms; however, the number of IDL and HSL genes varies between different orders and species. The phylogenetic analyses suggest that IDA, HSL2, and the related HSL1 gene, were present in the
species that gave rise to the angiosperms. HAE has arisen from HSL1 after a genome duplication that took place after the monocot—eudicots split. HSL1 has also independently been duplicated in the monocots, while HSL2 has been lost in gingers (Zingiberales) and grasses (Poales). IDA has been duplicated in eudicots to give rise to functionally divergent IDL peptides. We postulate that the high number of IDL homologs present in the core eudicots
is a result of multiple whole genome duplications (WGD). We substantiate the involvement of IDA and HAE/HSL2 homologs in abscission by providing gene expression data of different organ separation events from various species. PMID:26579174
How Are Squamous and Basal Cell Skin Cancers Diagnosed?
MedlinePlus
... and Staging Tests
for Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancers Most skin cancers are brought to a doctor’s ... Skin Cancers? More In Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer About Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Causes, ...
Impact of competitor species composition on
predicting diameter growth and survival rates of Douglas-fir trees in southwestern Oregon
USGS Publications Warehouse
Bravo, Felipe; Hann, D.W.; Maguire, Douglas A.
2001-01-01
Mixed conifer and hardwood stands in southwestern Oregon were studied to explore the hypothesis that competition effects on individual-tree growth and survival will differ according to the species
comprising the competition measure. Likewise, it was hypothesized that competition measures should extrapolate best if crown-based surrogates are given preference over diameter-based (basal area based) surrogates. Diameter growth and probability of survival were modeled for individual Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) trees growing in pure stands. Alternative models expressing one-sided and two-sided competition as a function of either basal area or
crown structure were then applied to other plots in which Douglas-fir was mixed with other conifers and (or) hardwood species. Crown-based variables outperformed basal area based variables as surrogates for one-sided competition in both diameter growth and survival probability, regardless of species composition. In contrast, two-sided competition was best represented by total basal area of competing trees. Surrogates reflecting differences in
crown morphology among species relate more closely to the mechanics of competition for light and, hence, facilitate extrapolation to species combinations for which no observations are available.
Asymmetrically
localized proteins stabilize basal bodies against ciliary beating forces
PubMed Central
Galati, Domenico F.
2016-01-01
Basal bodies are radially symmetric, microtubule-rich structures that nucleate and anchor motile cilia. Ciliary beating produces asymmetric mechanical forces that are resisted by basal bodies. To resist these forces,
distinct regions within the basal body ultrastructure and the microtubules themselves must be stable. However, the molecular components that stabilize basal bodies remain poorly defined. Here, we determine that Fop1 functionally interacts with the established basal body stability components Bld10 and Poc1. We find that Fop1 and microtubule glutamylation incorporate into basal bodies at distinct stages of assembly, culminating in their
asymmetric enrichment at specific triplet microtubule regions that are predicted to experience the greatest mechanical force from ciliary beating. Both Fop1 and microtubule glutamylation are required to stabilize basal bodies against ciliary beating forces. Our studies reveal that microtubule glutamylation and Bld10, Poc1, and Fop1 stabilize basal bodies against the forces produced by ciliary beating via distinct yet interdependent mechanisms. PMID:27807131
Hardwood regeneration related to overstory shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata mill.) basal area, site index, and time since cutting in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma
Treesearch
Douglas J. Stevenson; Thomas B. Lynch;
James M. Guldin
2010-01-01
Shortleaf pine grows in association with many other species, particularly understory hardwoods, which compete with it, limiting its productivity (Bower and Ferguson 1968, Cain 1988). Which species are the most competitive varies with site quality, density of the pine overstory and years since thinning. Basal area and site index closely approximate the principle...
Comparison of basal and induced cytochromes P450 in 6 species of waterfowl
Cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities were measured in control and prototype inducer-treated mallard duck, black duck, wood duck, lesser scaup, Canada goose and mute swan. Ages of the birds ranged from pipping embryos (that were treated approximately 3 days before pipping) to adults. Three or more of the following hepatic microsomal monooxygenases were assayed in each species: Benzyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (BROD), Ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD),
methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (MROD), and pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (PROD). Baseline activities differed between species, but because of differences in ages, sources of the eggs or birds, and diets, these cannot be viewed as absolute differences. The cytochrome P450 inducers utilized were beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) and phenobarbital (PB). In general, there was little response to PB; only lesser scaup were induced to greater than three times control
level and most species were well under this. Responses to BNF and 3MC occurred in each species studied, but differed in which of the monooxygenases was most induced (absolute values and ratios to control values) and in relative induction between species. BROD frequently had an induction ratio EROD. Overall, lesser scaup were the most responsive, canada geese the least responsive, and the other species intermediate in responsiveness to the
cytochrome P450 inducers studied.
Resource stoichiometry and availability modulate species richness and biomass of tropical litter macro-invertebrates.
PubMed
Jochum, Malte; Barnes,
Andrew D; Weigelt, Patrick; Ott, David; Rembold, Katja; Farajallah, Achmad; Brose, Ulrich
2017-09-01
High biodiversity and biomass of soil communities are crucial for litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems such as tropical forests. However, the leaf litter that these communities consume is of particularly poor quality as indicated by elemental stoichiometry. The impact of resource quantity, quality and other habitat parameters on species richness and biomass of
consumer communities is often studied in isolation, although much can be learned from simultaneously studying both community characteristics. Using a dataset of 780 macro-invertebrate consumer species across 32 sites in tropical lowland rain forest and agricultural systems on Sumatra, Indonesia, we investigated the effects of basal resource stoichiometry (C:X ratios of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S in local leaf litter), litter mass (basal resource quantity
and habitat space), plant species richness (surrogate for litter habitat heterogeneity), and soil pH (acidity) on consumer species richness and biomass across different consumer groups (i.e. 3 feeding guilds and 10 selected taxonomic groups). In order to distinguish the most important predictors of consumer species richness and biomass, we applied a standardised model averaging approach investigating the effects of basal resource stoichiometry,
litter mass, plant species richness and soil pH on both consumer community characteristics. This standardised approach enabled us to identify differences and similarities in the magnitude and importance of such effects on consumer species richness and biomass. Across consumer groups, we found litter mass to be the most important predictor of both species richness and biomass. Resource stoichiometry had a more pronounced impact on consumer
species richness than on their biomass. As expected, taxonomic groups differed in which resource and habitat parameters (basal resource stoichiometry, litter mass, plant species richness and pH) were most important for modulating their community characteristics. The importance
Identification and analysis of low molecular weight dissolved organic carbon in subglacial basal ice ecosystems by ion chromatography
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lawson, E. C.; Wadham, J. L.;
Lis, G. P.; Tranter, M.; Pickard, A. E.; Stibal, M.; Dewsbury, P.; Fitzsimons, S.
2015-08-01
Glacial runoff is an important source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for downstream heterotrophic activity, despite the low overall DOC concentrations. This is because of the abundance of bioavailable, low molecular weight (LMW) DOC species. However, the provenance and character of LMW-DOC is not fully understood. We investigated the abundance and composition of DOC in
subglacial environments via a molecular level DOC analysis of basal ice, which forms by water/sediment freeze-on to the glacier sole. Spectrofluorometry and a novel ion chromatographic method, which has been little utilised in glacial science for LMW-DOC determinations, were employed to identify and quantify the major LMW fractions (free amino acids, carbohydrates and carboxylic acids) in basal ice from four glaciers, each with a different basal debris
type. Basal ice from Joyce Glacier (Antarctica) was unique in that 98 % of the LMW-DOC was derived from the extremely diverse FAA pool, comprising 14 FAAs. LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice were dependent on the bioavailability of the overridden organic carbon (OC), which in turn, was influenced by the type of overridden material. Mean LMW-DOC concentrations in basal ice from Russell Glacier (Greenland), Finsterwalderbreen (Svalbard) and Engabreen
(Norway) were low (0-417 nM C), attributed to the relatively refractory nature of the OC in the overridden paleosols and bedrock. In contrast, mean LMW-DOC concentrations were an order of magnitude higher (4430 nM C) in basal ice from Joyce Glacier, a reflection of the high bioavailability of the overridden lacustrine material (>17 % of the sediment OC comprised extractable carbohydrates, a proxy for bioavailable OC). We find that the overridden material may act as a direct (via
abiotic leaching) and indirect (via microbial cycling) source of DOC to the subglacial environment and provides a range of LMW-DOC compounds that may stimulate microbial activity in wet sediments in current subglacial
Abdominal muscle and epipubic bone function during locomotion in Australian possums:
insights to basal mammalian conditions and Eutherian-like tendencies in Trichosurus.
PubMed
Reilly, Stephen M; McElroy, Eric J; White, Thomas D; Biknevicius, Audrone R; Bennett, Michael B
2010-04-01
Mammals have four hypaxial muscle layers that wrap around the abdomen between the pelvis, ribcage, and spine. However, the marsupials have epipubic bones extending
anteriorly into the ventral hypaxial layers with two additional muscles extending to the ventral midline and femur. Comparisons of South American marsupials to basal eutherians have shown that all of the abdominal hypaxials are active bilaterally in resting ventilation. However, during locomotion marsupials employ an asymmetrical pattern of activity as the hypaxial muscles form a crosscouplet linkage that uses the epipubic bone as a lever to provide long-axis support of the body
between diagonal limb couplets during each step. In basal eutherians, this system shifts off the femur and epipubic bones (which are lost) resulting in a shoulder to pelvis linkage associated with shifts in both the positions and activity patterns of the pectineus and rectus abdominis muscles during locomotion. In this study, we present data on hypaxial function in two species (Pseudocheirus peregrinus and Trichosurus vulpecula) representing the two major radiations of
possums in Australia: the Pseudocheiridae (within the Petauroidea) and the Phalangeridae. Patterns of gait, motor activity, and morphology in these two Australian species were compared with previous work to examine the generality of 1) the crosscouplet lever system as the basal condition for the Marsupialia and 2) several traits hypothesized to be common to all mammals (hypaxial tonus during resting ventilation, ventilation to step synchrony during locomotion, and
bilateral transversus abdominis activity during locomotor expiration). Our results validate the presence of the crosscouplet pattern and basic epipubic bone lever system in Australian possums and confirm the generality of basal mammalian patterns. However, several novelties discovered in Trichosurus, reveal that it exhibits an evolutionary transition to intermediate eutherian-like morphological and motor
Relevance of detail in basal topography for basal slipperiness inversions: a case study on Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kyrke-Smith, Teresa M.;
Gudmundsson, G. Hilmar; Farrell, Patrick E.
2018-04-01
Given high-resolution satellite-derived surface elevation and velocity data, ice-sheet models generally estimate mechanical basal boundary conditions using surface-to-bed inversion methods. In this work, we address the sensitivity of results from inversion methods to the accuracy of the bed elevation data on Pine Island Glacier. We show that misfit between observations and model output is reduced when high-resolution
bed topography is used in the inverse model. By looking at results with a range of detail included in the bed elevation, we consider the separation of basal drag due to the bed topography (form drag) and that due to inherent bed properties (skin drag). The mean value of basal shear stress is reduced when more detailed topography is included in the model. This suggests that without a fully resolved bed a significant amount of the basal shear stress recovered
from inversion methods may be due to the unresolved bed topography. However, the spatial structure of the retrieved fields is robust as the bed accuracy is varied; the fields are instead sensitive to the degree of regularisation applied to the inversion. While the implications for the future temporal evolution of PIG are not quantified here directly, our work raises the possibility that skin drag may be overestimated in the current generation of numerical ice-sheet models of this area. These
shortcomings could be overcome by inverting simultaneously for both bed topography and basal slipperiness.
Missing links: the genetic architecture of flowers [correction of flower] and floral diversification.
PubMed
Soltis, Douglas E; Soltis, Pamela S; Albert, Victor A; Oppenheimer, David G; dePamphilis, Claude W; Ma, Hong; Frohlich, Michael W; Theissen, Günter
2002-01-01
To understand the genetic architecture of floral development, including the origin and subsequent diversification of the flower, data are needed not only for a few model organisms but also for gymnosperms, basal
angiosperm lineages and early-diverging eudicots. We must link what is known about derived model plants such as Arabidopsis, snapdragon and maize with other angiosperms. To this end, we suggest a massive evolutionary genomics effort focused on the identification and expression patterns of floral genes and elucidation of their expression patterns in 'missing-link' taxa differing in the arrangement, number and organization of floral parts.
Basal ganglia lesions in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
PubMed Central
Almeida, Kelson James; Brucki, Sonia Maria Dozzi; Duarte,
Maria Irma Seixas; Pasqualucci, Carlos Augusto Gonçalves; Rosemberg, Sérgio; Nitrini, Ricardo
2012-01-01
The parieto-occipital region of the brain is the most frequently and severely affected in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The basal ganglia, cerebellum and corpus callosum are less commonly involved. We describe a patient with SSPE confirmed by neuropathology based on brain magnetic resonance imaging showing extensive basal ganglia involvement
and no significant involvement of other cortical structures. Though rarely described in SSPE, clinicians should be aware of this involvement. SSPE should be kept in mind when changes in basal ganglia signal are seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging with or without involvement of other regions of the human brain to avoid erroneous etiological diagnosis of other pathologies causing rapidly progressive dementia. PMID:29213810
A new basal sauropod from the pre-Toarcian Jurassic of South Africa: evidence of niche-partitioning at the sauropodomorph–sauropod boundary?
PubMed Central
McPhee, Blair W.; Bonnan, Matthew F.; Yates, Adam M.; Neveling, Johann; Choiniere, Jonah N.
2015-01-01
The early evolution of sauropod dinosaurs remains poorly understood, with a paucity of unequivocal sauropod taxa known from the first twenty million years of the Jurassic. Recently, the Early Jurassic of South Africa has yielded an assemblage of dental and post-cranial remains
displaying a more apomorphic character suite than any other similarly aged sauropodomorph. These remains are interpreted as a new species of basal sauropod and recovered cladistically as the sister taxon to Vulcanodon +more derived Sauropoda, underscoring its importance for our understanding of this pivotal period of sauropod evolution. Key changes in the dentition, axial skeleton and forelimb of this new species suggest a genuine functional distinction
occurring at the sauropodiform-sauropod boundary. With reference to these changes, we propose a scenario in which interdependent refinements of the locomotory and feeding apparatus occurred in tandem with, or were effected by, restrictions in the amount of vertical forage initially available to the earliest sauropods. The hypothesized instance of niche-partitioning between basal sauropodan taxa and higher-browsing non-sauropodan sauropodomorphs may partially explain the rarity of
true sauropods in the basal rocks of the Jurassic, while having the added corollary of couching the origins of Sauropoda in terms of an ecologically delimited ‘event’. PMID:26288028
Infrared Spectroscopy of Pollen Identifies
Plant Species and Genus as Well as Environmental Conditions
PubMed Central
Zimmermann, Boris; Kohler, Achim
2014-01-01
Background It is imperative to have reliable and timely methodologies for analysis and monitoring of seed plants in order to determine climate-related plant processes. Moreover, impact of environment on plant fitness is predominantly based on studies
of female functions, while the contribution of male gametophytes is mostly ignored due to missing data on pollen quality. We explored the use of infrared spectroscopy of pollen for an inexpensive and rapid characterization of plants. Methodology The study was based on measurement of pollen samples by two Fourier transform infrared techniques: single reflectance attenuated total reflectance and transmission measurement of sample pellets. The experimental set, with a total of 813 samples, included
five pollination seasons and 300 different plant species belonging to all principal spermatophyte clades (conifers, monocotyledons, eudicots, and magnoliids). Results The spectroscopic-based methodology enables detection of phylogenetic variations, including the separation of confamiliar and congeneric species. Furthermore, the methodology enables measurement of phenotypic plasticity by the detection of inter-annual variations within the populations. The
spectral differences related to environment and taxonomy are interpreted biochemically, specifically variations of pollen lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and sporopollenins. The study shows large variations of absolute content of nutrients for congenital species pollinating in the same environmental conditions. Moreover, clear correlation between carbohydrate-to-protein ratio and pollination strategy has been detected. Infrared spectral database with respect to biochemical
variation among the range of species, climate and biogeography will significantly improve comprehension of plant-environment interactions, including impact of global climate change on plant communities. PMID:24748390
[Exenteration of the Orbit for
Basal Cell Carcinoma].
PubMed
Furdová, A; Horkovičová, K; Krčová, I; Krásnik, V
2015-08-01
Primary treatment of basal cell carcinoma of the lower eyelid and the inner corner is essentially surgical, but advanced lesions require extensive surgical interventions. In some cases it is necessary to continue with the mutilating surgery--exenteration of the
orbit. In this work we evaluate the indications of radical solutions in patients with basal cell carcinoma invading the orbit and the subsequent possibility for individually made prosthesis to cover the defect of the cavity. Indications to exenteration of the orbit in patients with basal cell carcinoma findings in 2008-2013. Case report of 2 patients. In period 2008-20013 at the Dept. of Ophthalmology, Comenius University in Bratislava totally 221 patients with
histologically confirmed basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids and the inner corner were treated. In 5 cases (2.7 %) with infiltration of the orbit the radical surgical procedure, exenteration was necessary. In 3 patients exenteration was indicated as the first surgical procedure in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, since they had never visited ophthalmologist before only at in the stage of infiltration of the orbit (stage T4). In one case was indicated exenteration
after previous surgical interventions and relapses. After healing the cavity patients got individually prepared epithesis. Surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma involves the radical removal of the neoplasm entire eyelid and stage T1 or T2 can effectively cure virtually all tumors with satisfactory cosmetic and functional results. In advanced stages (T4 stage) by infiltrating the orbit by basal cell carcinoma exenteration of the orbit is necessary. This surgery is a
serious situation for the patient and also for his relatives. Individually made prosthesis helps the patient to be enrolled to the social environment.
Readiness in the Basal Reader: An Update.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Perkins, Pamela
A study examined two 1989 basal reading series' (published by McGraw Hill and Holt) readiness/priming sequences in order to ascertain the theoretical bases of each and then compared the findings with those of an earlier study. All pages of the readiness/priming sequence student texts and workbooks of both
basal reading series were analyzed using…
Pigmented basal cell carcinoma mimicking a superficial spreading melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, especially in elderly people. Pigmented basal cell carcinoma is a rare subtype and has been described in the literature as a nodular and hyperpigmented lesion; rarely, it can appear as an extensive pigmented plate, which may be clinically indistinguishable from superficial spreading melanoma and Bowen disease.
Dermatoscopy has a high sensitivity in the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. When Menzies criteria are used; however, the final diagnosis is made by histopathology. The objective of the present report is to analyze the case of a patient with pigmented basal cell carcinoma simulating a superficial spreading melanoma.
Does Lactation Mitigate Triple Negative/Basal Breast Cancer Progression?
DTIC Science & Technology
2012-09-01
201 – 31 August 201 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER DOES LACTATION MITIGATE TRIPLE NEGATIVE
/BASAL BREAST CANCER PROGRESSION? 5b...25 1 INTRODUCTION Young African American women have an increased risk of developing aggressive forms of breast cancer (i.e... triple negative /basal-like) than young non-Hispanic white women. Recent epidemiological data show increased risk of basal-like breast cancer with
Boechera Species Exhibit Species-Specific Responses to Combined Heat and High Light Stress
PubMed Central
Gallas, Genna;
Waters, Elizabeth R.
2015-01-01
As sessile organisms, plants must be able to complete their life cycle in place and therefore tolerance to abiotic stress has had a major role in shaping biogeographical patterns. However, much of what we know about plant tolerance to abiotic stresses is based on studies of just a few plant species, most notably the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study we examine natural variation in the stress responses of five
diverse Boechera (Brassicaceae) species. Boechera plants were exposed to basal and acquired combined heat and high light stress. Plant response to these stresses was evaluated based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, induction of leaf chlorosis, and gene expression. Many of the Boechera species were more tolerant to heat and high light stress than A. thaliana. Gene expression data indicates that two important marker genes for stress responses: APX2
(Ascorbate peroxidase 2) and HsfA2 (Heat shock transcription factor A2) have distinct species-specific expression patterns. The findings of species-specific responses and tolerance to stress indicate that stress pathways are evolutionarily labile even among closely related species. PMID:26030823
Two new freshwater eutardigrade species from Sicily.
PubMed
Pilato, Giovanni; Sabella, Giorgio; Lisi, Oscar
2015-02-11
Two new species of freshwater Eutardigrada are described
from Sicily: Isohypsibius rusticus sp. nov. and Isohypsibius zappalai sp. nov. The former species has eye spots, ornamented body surface with many, variously sized tubercles; bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of the Isohypsibius type; pharyngeal bulb with apophyses and two rod-shaped macroplacoids; microplacoid absent; claws, of the Isohypsibius type, well developed, with long and thin common basal portion; main branches of all claws without free accessory points; very thin
lunules present; cuticular bars on the legs absent. Isohypsibius zappalai sp. nov. has eye spots; entire body surface with small tubercles rounded in shape, fairly uniformly sized and tending to form transverse lines; bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of the Isohypsibius type, pharyngeal bulb with apophyses and two macroplacoids; microplacoid absent; claws of the Isohypsibius type, well developed, with long common basal portion and both main and secondary branches with a wide proximal
portion. Main branches of all claws with accessory points; small, flexible lunules present; cuticular bars on the legs absent.
C3–C4 intermediacy in grasses: organelle enrichment and distribution, glycine decarboxylase expression, and
the rise of C2 photosynthesis
Photorespiratory glycine shuttling and decarboxylation in bundle sheath (BS) cells exhibited by C2 species is proposed to be the evolutionary bridge to C4 photosynthesis in
eudicots. To evaluate this in grasses, we compare anatomy, cellular localization of glycine decarboxylase (GDC), and photosynthetic physiology of a suspected C2 grass, Homolepis aturensis, with these traits in known C2 grasses, Neurachne minor and Steinchisma hians, and C3 S. laxum that is sister to S. hians. We also use publicly available genome and RNA-sequencing data to examine the evolution of GDC subunits and enhance our understanding of the evolution of BS-specific GDC
expression in C2 and C4 grasses. Our results confirm the identity of H. aturensis as a C2 species; GDC is confined predominantly to the organelle-enriched BS cells in H. aturensis and S. hians and to mestome sheath cells of N. minor. Phylogenetic analyses and data obtained from immunodetection of the P-subunit of GDC are consistent with the hypothesis that the BS dominant levels of GDC in C2 and C4 species are due to changes in expression of a single GLDP gene in M and
BS cells. All BS mitochondria and peroxisomes and most chloroplasts in H. aturensis and S. hians are situated centripetally in a pattern identical to C2 eudicots. In S. laxum, which has C3-like gas exchange patterns, mitochondria and peroxisomes are positioned centripetally as they are in S. hians. This subcellular phenotype, also present in eudicots, is posited to initiate a facilitation cascade leading to C2 and C4 photosynthesis. PMID:27073202
Mapping nutrient resorption efficiencies of subarctic cryptogams and seed plants onto the Tree of Life
PubMed Central
Lang, Simone I; Aerts, Rien;
van Logtestijn, Richard S P; Schweikert, Wenka; Klahn, Thorsten; Quested, Helen M; van Hal, Jurgen R; Cornelissen, Johannes H C
2014-01-01
Nutrient resorption from senescing photosynthetic organs is a powerful mechanism for conserving nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in infertile environments. Evolution has resulted in enhanced differentiation of conducting tissues to facilitate transport of photosynthate to other plant parts, ultimately leading to phloem. Such tissues may also serve
to translocate N and P to other plant parts upon their senescence. Therefore, we hypothesize that nutrient resorption efficiency (RE, % of nutrient pool exported) should correspond with the degree of specialization of these conducting tissues across the autotrophic branches of the Tree of Life. To test this hypothesis, we had to compare members of different plant clades and lichens within a climatic region, to minimize confounding effects of climatic drivers on nutrient resorption. Thus, we
compared RE among wide-ranging basal clades from the principally N-limited subarctic region, employing a novel method to correct for mass loss during senescence. Even with the limited numbers of species available for certain clades in this region, we found some consistent patterns. Mosses, lichens, and lycophytes generally showed low REN (<20%), liverworts and conifers intermediate (40%) and monilophytes, eudicots, and monocots high (>70%). REP
appeared higher in eudicots and liverworts than in mosses. Within mosses, taxa with more efficient conductance also showed higher REN. The differences in REN among clades broadly matched the degree of specialization of conducting tissues. This novel mapping of a physiological process onto the Tree of Life broadly supports the idea that the evolution of conducting tissues toward specialized phloem has aided land plants to optimize their internal nitrogen recycling. The generality of
evolutionary lines in conducting tissues and nutrient resorption efficiency needs to be tested across different floras in different climatic regions with different levels of N versus P availability. PMID:25360262
Basal Serum Calcitonin, After Calcium Stimulation, and in the Needle Washout of
Patients with Thyroid Nodules and Mild or Moderate Basal Hypercalcitoninemia.
The effect of basal channels on oceanic ice-shelf melting
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Millgate, Thomas; Holland, Paul R.; Jenkins, Adrian; Johnson, Helen L.
2013-12-01
The presence
of ice-shelf basal channels has been noted in a number of Antarctic and Greenland ice shelves, but their impact on basal melting is not fully understood. Here we use the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model to investigate the effect of ice-shelf basal channels on oceanic melt rate for an idealized ice shelf resembling the floating tongue of Petermann Glacier in Greenland. The introduction of basal channels prevents
the formation of a single geostrophically balanced boundary current; instead the flow is diverted up the right-hand (Coriolis-favored) side of each channel, with a return flow in the opposite direction on the left-hand side. As the prescribed number of basal channels is increased the mean basal melt rate decreases, in agreement with previous studies. For a small number of relatively wide channels the subice flow is found to be a largely geostrophic horizontal
circulation. The reduction in melt rate is then caused by an increase in the relative contribution of weakly melting channel crests and keels. For a larger number of relatively narrow channels, the subice flow changes to a vertical overturning circulation. This change in circulation results in a weaker sensitivity of melt rates to channel size. The transition between the two regimes is governed by the Rossby radius of deformation. Our results explain why basal channels play an
important role in regulating basal melting, increasing the stability of ice shelves.
The Oldest Jurassic Dinosaur: A Basal Neotheropod from the Hettangian of Great Britain.
PubMed
Martill, David M; Vidovic, Steven U; Howells, Cindy; Nudds, John R
2016-01-01
Approximately 40% of a skeleton including cranial and postcranial remains representing a new genus and species of basal neotheropod dinosaur is described. It was collected from fallen blocks from a sea cliff that exposes Late Triassic and Early Jurassic marine and quasi marine strata on
the south Wales coast near the city of Cardiff. Matrix comparisons indicate that the specimen is from the lithological Jurassic part of the sequence, below the first occurrence of the index ammonite Psiloceras planorbis and above the last occurrence of the Rhaetian conodont Chirodella verecunda. Associated fauna of echinoderms and bivalves indicate that the specimen had drifted out to sea, presumably from the nearby Welsh Massif and associated islands (St David's Archipelago). Its occurrence
close to the base of the Blue Lias Formation (Lower Jurassic, Hettangian) makes it the oldest known Jurassic dinosaur and it represents the first dinosaur skeleton from the Jurassic of Wales. A cladistic analysis indicates basal neotheropodan affinities, but the specimen retains plesiomorphic characters which it shares with Tawa and Daemonosaurus.
Left ventricular thrombus
formation is a frequent complication in patients with ischemic heart disease and is associated with a high risk of systemic embolization. Generally, thrombi localize at the apical segment. However, thrombus localized at the basal septum has not been reported yet. In this case, we discuss a flying saucer shaped mass located at the basal septum, which was later diagnosed as thrombus after anticoagulant therapy.
Relative maxima of diameter and basal area
Treesearch
Thomas B. Lynch; Difei Zhang
2012-01-01
It has often been observed that maximum dbh growth occurs at an earlier age than maximum individual tree
basal area growth. This can be deduced from the geometry of the tree stem, by observing that a dbh increment at a given radius will be associated with a larger basal area increment than an equal dbh increment occurring at a shorter radius from the stem center. Thus...
Development of a basal area growth system for maritime pine in northwestern Spain using the generalized algebraic difference approach
Treesearch
Marcos Barrio Anta; Fernando Castedo Dorado; Ulises Dieguez-Aranda; Juan
G. Alvarez Gonzalez; Bernard R. Parresol; Roque Rodriguez Soalleiro
2006-01-01
A basal area growth system for single-species, even-aged maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands in Galicia (northwestern Spain) was developed from data of 212 plots measured between one and four times. Six dynamic equations were considered for analysis, and both numerical and graphical methods were used to compare alternative models. The double...
Structural centrosome aberrations sensitize polarized epithelia to basal cell extrusion.
Earth's magnetic field is very old, with recent data now showing the field possibly extended back to 4.1 billion years ago (Tarduno et al., Science, 2015). Yet, based upon our current knowledge there are difficulties in sustained a core dynamo over most of Earth's history. Moreover, recent estimates of thermal and
electrical conductivity of liquid iron at core conditions from mineral physics experiments indicate that adiabatic heat flux is approximately 15 TW, nearly 3 times larger than previously thought, exacerbating difficulties for driving a core dynamo by convective core cooling alone throughout Earth history. A long-lived basal magma ocean in the lowermost mantle has been proposed to exist in the early Earth, surviving perhaps into the Archean. While the modern, solid lower mantle is an
electromagnetic insulator, electrical conductivities of silicate melts are known to be higher, though as yet they are unconstrained for lowermost mantle conditions. Here we explore the geomagnetic consequences of a basal magma ocean layer for a range of possible electrical conductivities. For the highest electrical conductivities considered, we find a basal magma ocean could be a primary dynamo source region. This would suggest the proposed three magnetic eras observed
in paleomagnetic data originate from distinct sources for dynamo generation: from 4.5-2.45 Ga within a basal magma ocean, from 2.25-0.4 Ga within a superadiabatically cooled liquid core, and from 0.4-present within a quasi-adiabatic core that includes a solidifying inner core. We have extended this work by developing a new code, Dynamantle, which is a model with an entropy-based approach, similar to those commonly used in core dynamics models. We present new results using this code
to assess the conditions under which basal magma oceans can generate positive ohmic dissipation. This is more generally useful than just considering the early Earth, but also for many silicate exoplanets in which basal magma oceans
Correlated alterations in prostate basal cell layer and basement membrane
Our recent studies revealed that focal basal cell layer disruption (FBCLD) induced auto-immunoreactions represented a contributing factor for human prostate tumor progression and invasion. As the basement membrane surrounds and attaches to the basal cell layer, our current study assessed whether FBCLD would impact the physical integrity of the associated basement membrane. Paraffin sections from 25-human prostate tumors
were subjected to double immunohistochemistry to simultaneously elucidate the basal cell layer and the basement membrane with corresponding biomarkers. The physical integrity of the basement membrane overlying FBCLD was examined to determine the extent of correlated alterations. Of a total of 89 FBCLD encountered, 76 (85 %) showed correlated alterations in the overlying basement membrane, which included distinct focal disruptions or fragmentations. In the remaining 13 (15%) FBCLD,
the overlying basement membrane showed significant attenuation or reduction of the immunostaining intensity. The basement membrane in all or nearly all ducts or acini with p63 positive basal cells was substantially thicker and more uniform than that in ducts or acini without p63 positive basal cells, and also, a vast majority of the focal disruptions occurred near basal cells that lack p63 expression. These findings suggest that focal disruptions in the
basal cell layer and alterations in the basement membrane are correlated events and that the physical and functional status of the basal cells could significantly impact the physical integrity of the overlying basement membrane. As the degradation of both the basal cell layer and the basement membrane is a pre-requisite for prostate tumor invasion or progression, ducts or acini with focally disrupted basal cell layer and basement membrane are
likely at greater risk to develop invasive lesions. Thus, further elucidation of the specific molecules and mechanism associated with these events may lead to the development of a more
Serum Fetuin-A Levels in Patients with Bilateral Basal Ganglia Calcification.
Basal ganglia and Dopamine Contributions to Probabilistic Category Learning
PubMed Central
Shohamy, D.; Myers, C.E.; Kalanithi, J.;
Gluck, M.A.
2009-01-01
Studies of the medial temporal lobe and basal ganglia memory systems have recently been extended towards understanding the neural systems contributing to category learning. The basal ganglia, in particular, have been linked to probabilistic category learning in humans. A separate parallel literature in systems neuroscience has emerged, indicating a role for the basal ganglia and related dopamine inputs in reward prediction
and feedback processing. Here, we review behavioral, neuropsychological, functional neuroimaging, and computational studies of basal ganglia and dopamine contributions to learning in humans. Collectively, these studies implicate the basal ganglia in incremental, feedback-based learning that involves integrating information across multiple experiences. The medial temporal lobes, by contrast, contribute to rapid encoding of relations between stimuli and support flexible
generalization of learning to novel contexts and stimuli. By breaking down our understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms contributing to different aspects of learning, recent studies are providing insight into how, and when, these different processes support learning, how they may interact with each other, and the consequence of different forms of learning for the representation of knowledge. PMID:18061261
Tetrahymena Poc1 ensures proper intertriplet microtubule linkages to maintain basal body integrity
PubMed Central
Meehl, Janet B.;
Bayless, Brian A.; Giddings, Thomas H.; Pearson, Chad G.; Winey, Mark
2016-01-01
Basal bodies comprise nine symmetric triplet microtubules that anchor forces produced by the asymmetric beat pattern of motile cilia. The ciliopathy protein Poc1 stabilizes basal bodies through an unknown mechanism. In poc1∆ cells, electron tomography reveals subtle defects in the organization of intertriplet linkers (A-C linkers) that connect adjacent triplet microtubules.
Complete triplet microtubules are lost preferentially near the posterior face of the basal body. Basal bodies that are missing triplets likely remain competent to assemble new basal bodies with nine triplet microtubules, suggesting that the mother basal body microtubule structure does not template the daughter. Our data indicate that Poc1 stabilizes basal body triplet microtubules through linkers between neighboring triplets.
Without this stabilization, specific triplet microtubules within the basal body are more susceptible to loss, probably due to force distribution within the basal body during ciliary beating. This work provides insights into how the ciliopathy protein Poc1 maintains basal body integrity. PMID:27251062
Individual-tree basal area growth, survival, and total height models for upland hardwoods in the Boston Mountains of Arkansa
Treesearch
Paul A. Murphy; David L. Graney
1988-01-01
Models were developed for
individual-tree basal area growth, survival, and total heights for different species of upland hardwoods in the Boston Mountains of north Arkansas. Data used were from 87 permanent plots located in an array of different sites and stand ages; the plots were thinned to different stocking levels and included unthinned controls. To test these...
The Role of Basal Channels in Ice Shelf Calving.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dow, C. F.; Lee, W. S.; Greenbaum, J. S.; Greene, C. A.; Blankenship, D. D.; Poinar, K.; Forrest, A.; Young, D. A.;
Zappa, C. J.
2017-12-01
Increased rates of ice shelf break-up drives acceleration of grounded glacial ice into the ocean, resulting in sea-level rise. Ice shelves are vulnerable to thinning, which make them more susceptible to calving. Here, we examine basal channels under three ice shelves that locally thin the ice and drive formation of transverse ice shelf fractures. The basal channels also cause surface depressions due to hydrostatic buoyancy effects and
can draw in surface water to form rivers. These rivers exacerbate thinning by surface melting and hydraulic loading, and can accelerate rifting when they flow into the transverse fractures. Our investigation focuses on Nansen Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea Embayment, East Antarctica. We use ice-sounding radar and single-beam laser altimeter data from two aerogeophysical campaigns conducted in 2011 and 2014, ice surface DEM reconstruction, and satellite imagery analysis, to examine the role of a
substantial basal channel in the stability of this ice shelf. Nansen Ice Shelf calved two large icebergs totaling 214 km2 in area in April 2016. The transverse fracture that eventually rifted to form these icebergs initiated directly over the basal channel in 1987. In years when surface water formed on Nansen Ice Shelf, a river flowed into the transverse fracture. In November 2016, we identified a new fracture over the basal channel during in-situ data
collection. We compare the Nansen Ice Shelf fractures with those at other vulnerable ice-shelf systems, including Petermann Glacier in Greenland and Totten Glacier in East Antarctica, to evaluate the role that basal channels may play in simultaneous basal and surface weakening and their consequent effect on ice-shelf rifting and stability.
Inhibiting the Hedgehog Pathway in Patients with the Basal-Cell Nevus Syndrome
PubMed Central
Tang, Jean Y.; Mackay-Wiggan, Julian M.;
Aszterbaum, Michelle; Yauch, Robert L.; Lindgren, Joselyn; Chang, Kris; Coppola, Carol; Chanana, Anita M.; Marji, Jackleen; Bickers, David R.; Epstein, Ervin H.
2012-01-01
BACKGROUND Dysregulated hedgehog signaling is the pivotal molecular abnormality underlying basal-cell carcinomas. Vismodegib is a new orally administered hedgehog-pathway inhibitor that produces objective responses in locally advanced and metastatic basal-cell carcinomas. METHODS We tested
the anti–basal-cell carcinoma efficacy of vismodegib in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with the basal-cell nevus syndrome at three clinical centers from September 2009 through January 2011. The primary end point was reduction in the incidence of new basal-cell carcinomas that were eligible for surgical resection (surgically eligible) with vismodegib versus placebo after 3 months; secondary end points included reduction in
the size of existing basal-cell carcinomas. RESULTS In 41 patients followed for a mean of 8 months (range, 1 to 15) after enrollment, the per-patient rate of new surgically eligible basal-cell carcinomas was lower with vismodegib than with placebo (2 vs. 29 cases per group per year, P<0.001), as was the size (percent change from baseline in the sum of the longest diameter) of existing clinically significant basal-cell carcinomas (−65% vs. −11%, P =
0.003). In some patients, all basal-cell carcinomas clinically regressed. No tumors progressed during treatment with vismodegib. Patients receiving vismodegib routinely had grade 1 or 2 adverse events of loss of taste, muscle cramps, hair loss, and weight loss. Overall, 54% of patients (14 of 26) receiving vismodegib discontinued drug treatment owing to adverse events. At 1 month, vismodegib use had reduced the hedgehog target-gene expression by basal-cell carcinoma by
90% (P<0.001) and diminished tumor-cell proliferation, but apoptosis was not affected. No residual basal-cell carcinoma was detectable in 83% of biopsy samples taken from sites of clinically regressed basal-cell carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS Vismodegib reduces the basal-cell carcinoma tumor burden and blocks growth of
A basal stem cell signature identifies aggressive prostate cancer phenotypes
PubMed Central
Smith, Bryan A.; Sokolov, Artem;
Uzunangelov, Vladislav; Baertsch, Robert; Newton, Yulia; Graim, Kiley; Mathis, Colleen; Cheng, Donghui; Stuart, Joshua M.; Witte, Owen N.
2015-01-01
Evidence from numerous cancers suggests that increased aggressiveness is accompanied by up-regulation of signaling pathways and acquisition of properties common to stem cells. It is unclear if different subtypes of late-stage cancer vary in stemness properties and whether or not these subtypes are transcriptionally similar to normal
tissue stem cells. We report a gene signature specific for human prostate basal cells that is differentially enriched in various phenotypes of late-stage metastatic prostate cancer. We FACS-purified and transcriptionally profiled basal and luminal epithelial populations from the benign and cancerous regions of primary human prostates. High-throughput RNA sequencing showed the basal population to be defined by genes associated with stem cell signaling
programs and invasiveness. Application of a 91-gene basal signature to gene expression datasets from patients with organ-confined or hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer revealed that metastatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was molecularly more stem-like than either metastatic adenocarcinoma or organ-confined adenocarcinoma. Bioinformatic analysis of the basal cell and two human small cell gene signatures identified a set of E2F target genes common
between prostate small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and primary prostate basal cells. Taken together, our data suggest that aggressive prostate cancer shares a conserved transcriptional program with normal adult prostate basal stem cells. PMID:26460041
Conservation, Divergence,
and Genome-Wide Distribution of PAL and POX A Gene Families in Plants.
PubMed
Rawal, H C; Singh, N K; Sharma, T R
2013-01-01
Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic and syntenic comparison were performed for the genes responsible for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase A (POX A) enzymes in nine plant species representing very diverse groups like
legumes (Glycine max and Medicago truncatula), fruits (Vitis vinifera), cereals (Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa), trees (Populus trichocarpa), and model dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) and monocot (Brachypodium distachyon) species. A total of 87 and 1045 genes in PAL and POX A gene families, respectively, have been identified in these species. The phylogenetic and syntenic comparison along with motif distributions shows a high degree of conservation of PAL
genes, suggesting that these genes may predate monocot/eudicot divergence. The POX A family genes, present in clusters at the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes, might be evolving and expanding with higher rate than the PAL gene family. Our analysis showed that during the expansion of POX A gene family, many groups and subgroups have evolved, resulting in a high level of functional divergence among monocots and dicots. These results will act as a first step toward the understanding
of monocot/eudicot evolution and functional characterization of these gene families in the future.
Conservation, Divergence, and Genome-Wide Distribution of PAL and POX A Gene Families in Plants
PubMed Central
Rawal, H. C.; Singh, N. K.; Sharma, T. R.
2013-01-01
Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic and syntenic comparison were performed for the genes responsible for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase A (POX A) enzymes in nine plant species representing very diverse groups like legumes (Glycine max and Medicago truncatula), fruits (Vitis vinifera), cereals
(Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa), trees (Populus trichocarpa), and model dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) and monocot (Brachypodium distachyon) species. A total of 87 and 1045 genes in PAL and POX A gene families, respectively, have been identified in these species. The phylogenetic and syntenic comparison along with motif distributions shows a high degree of conservation of PAL genes, suggesting that these genes may predate monocot/eudicot
divergence. The POX A family genes, present in clusters at the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes, might be evolving and expanding with higher rate than the PAL gene family. Our analysis showed that during the expansion of POX A gene family, many groups and subgroups have evolved, resulting in a high level of functional divergence among monocots and dicots. These results will act as a first step toward the understanding of monocot/eudicot evolution and functional characterization
of these gene families in the future. PMID:23671845
Deep-Brain Stimulation for Basal Ganglia Disorders.
PubMed
Wichmann, Thomas; Delong, Mahlon R
2011-07-01
The realization
that medications used to treat movement disorders and psychiatric conditions of basal ganglia origin have significant shortcomings, as well as advances in the understanding of the functional organization of the brain, has led to a renaissance in functional neurosurgery, and particularly the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Movement disorders are now routinely being treated with DBS of 'motor' portions of the basal ganglia output nuclei, specifically the subthalamic
nucleus and the internal pallidal segment. These procedures are highly effective and generally safe. Use of DBS is also being explored in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, with targeting of the 'limbic' basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry. The results of these procedures are also encouraging, but many unanswered questions remain in this emerging field. This review summarizes the scientific rationale and practical aspects of using DBS for neurologic and
neuropsychiatric disorders.
The detection of basal cell determinants in human basal cell carcinomas using two different monoclonal antibodies.
PubMed
Habets, J M; Tank, B;
Vuzevski, V D; van Reede, E C; Stolz, E; van Joost, T
1987-01-01
This report deals with the reaction pattern(s) of two monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) with normal skin and basal cell carcinomas (BCC). Using indirect immunoperoxidase (IIP) and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) techniques, MoAb 12 G7 was observed to react with a determinant related to the cell membrane of the epidermal basal cells. In the IIP technique MoAb 12 G7 showed a positive reaction with
32 out of 34 BCC (94%), while in IIF all the 14 BCC that were studied were positive. In most cases only the cells at the periphery of the tumour nests were stained. MoAb 253 B7 reacted with cytoplasmic determinant(s) of the epidermal basal cells both in the IIF as well as in the IIP techniques. Using the IIP technique only 5 out of 34 BCC (15%) showed a positive reaction with this MoAb. Four of the 5 positively staining tumours showed aggressive histological features. Using IIF
technique only 2 out of 14 BCC were positive. The results presented in this communication are discussed with regard to the possible expression of selective differentiation and tumor-associated determinant(s) in BCC.
Outgrowth of Rice Tillers Requires Availability of Glutamine in the Basal
Portions of Shoots.
Our previous studies concluded that metabolic disorder in the basal portions of rice shoots caused by a lack of cytosolic glutamine synthetase1;2 (GS1;2) resulted in a severe reduction in
the outgrowth of tillers. Rice mutants lacking GS1;2 (gs1;2 mutants) showed a remarkable reduction in the contents of both glutamine and asparagine in the basal portions of shoots. In the current study, we attempted to reveal the mechanisms for this decrease in asparagine content using rice mutants lacking either GS1;2 or asparagine synthetase 1 (AS1). The contributions of the availability of glutamine and asparagine to the outgrowth of rice tillers were investigated. Rice has two
AS genes, and the enzymes catalyse asparagine synthesis from glutamine. In the basal portions of rice shoots, expression of OsAS1, the major species in this tissue, was reduced in gs1;2 mutants, whereas OsAS2 expression was relatively constant. OsAS1 was expressed in phloem companion cells of the nodal vascular anastomoses connected to the axillary bud vasculatures in the basal portions of wild-type shoots, whereas cell-specific expression was markedly
reduced in gs1;2 mutants. OsAS1 was up-regulated significantly by NH 4 + supply in the wild type but not in gs1;2 mutants. When GS reactions were inhibited by methionine sulfoximine, OsAS1 was up-regulated by glutamine but not by NH 4 + . The rice mutants lacking AS1 (as1 mutants) showed a decrease in asparagine content in the basal portions of shoots. However, glutamine content and tiller number were less affected by the lack of AS1. These results indicate that in phloem companion
cells of the nodal vascular anastomoses, asparagine synthesis is largely dependent on glutamine or its related metabolite-responsive AS1. Thus, the decrease in glutamine content caused by a lack of GS1;2 is suggested to result in low expression of OsAS1, decreasing asparagine content. However, the availability of asparagine generated from AS1 reactions is apparently less
Basal jawed vertebrate phylogeny inferred from multiple nuclear DNA-coded genes
Background Phylogenetic analyses of jawed vertebrates based on mitochondrial sequences often result in confusing inferences which are obviously inconsistent with generally accepted trees. In particular, in a hypothesis by Rasmussen and Arnason based on mitochondrial trees, cartilaginous fishes have a terminal position in a paraphyletic cluster of bony fishes. No previous analysis based on nuclear
DNA-coded genes could significantly reject the mitochondrial trees of jawed vertebrates. Results We have cloned and sequenced seven nuclear DNA-coded genes from 13 vertebrate species. These sequences, together with sequences available from databases including 13 jawed vertebrates from eight major groups (cartilaginous fishes, bichir, chondrosteans, gar, bowfin, teleost fishes, lungfishes and tetrapods) and an outgroup (a cyclostome and a lancelet), have been subjected to
phylogenetic analyses based on the maximum likelihood method. Conclusion Cartilaginous fishes have been inferred to be basal to other jawed vertebrates, which is consistent with the generally accepted view. The minimum log-likelihood difference between the maximum likelihood tree and trees not supporting the basal position of cartilaginous fishes is 18.3 ± 13.1. The hypothesis by Rasmussen and Arnason has been significantly rejected with the minimum log-likelihood
difference of 123 ± 23.3. Our tree has also shown that living holosteans, comprising bowfin and gar, form a monophyletic group which is the sister group to teleost fishes. This is consistent with a formerly prevalent view of vertebrate classification, although inconsistent with both of the current morphology-based and mitochondrial sequence-based trees. Furthermore, the bichir has been shown to be the basal ray-finned fish. Tetrapods and lungfish have formed a monophyletic cluster
in the tree inferred from the concatenated alignment, being consistent with the currently prevalent view. It also remains possible that tetrapods are more closely
The Cylindrobulla/Ascobulla complex--unraveling problems in identification and adding to Cylindrobulla diversity (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia,
Sacoglossa) by describing a new species.
Sacoglossa (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) are generally considered a monophyletic group, previously associated within the now defunct "Opisthobranchia", but now basally located within Panpulmonata. In the light of this new
phylogenetic hypothesis, detailed knowledge of the most basal groups within Sacoglossa is of paramount importance. This study focuses on the genus Cylindrobulla, which is usually considered the most basal group within the Sacoglossa from a morphological point of view, because it does not share the typical elongate radula teeth of all other Sacoglossa. We describe a new species, Cylindrobulla schuppi sp. nov., and provide data on its food. We reexamined and
clarify the radula of the type species C. beauii, review the genus with all other valid species, provide new characters to aid in the proper identification of species within this genus, compare it to the very similar genus Ascobulla, present a determination key using external characters to ensure proper identification of the two similar genera, and discuss phylogenetic relationships within the shelled sacoglossan, the Oxynoacea.
How are Senior Citizens Portrayed in Basal Readers?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rosen, Doris F.
Five commonly used basal
readers from grades one through three were studied to determine how they portrayed and represented older adults. It was hypothesized that older adults would be portrayed as active, contributing, and productive members of society and that they would be represented in the basals in proportion to their numbers in the…
Airway Basal Cell Heterogeneity and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Trail-following pheromones in basal termites, with special reference to Mastotermes darwiniensis.
PubMed
Sillam-Dussès, David; Sémon, Etienne; Lacey, Michael J; Robert, Alain; Lenz, Michael; Bordereau,
Christian
2007-10-01
In the framework of an evolutionary study, trail pheromones have been studied in the most basal extant termite, Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae), and two other basal termites, the Termopsidae Porotermes adamsoni (Porotermitinae) and Stolotermes victoriensis (Stolotermitinae). Although workers of M. darwiniensis do not walk in single file while exploring a new environment under experimental conditions and are unable to follow
artificial trails in 'open field' experiments, they do secrete a trail-following pheromone from their sternal glands. This unique behavior might reflect a primitive function of communication of the sternal gland. The major component of the pheromone appears to be the same in the three basalspecies: the norsesquiterpene alcohol (E)-2,6,10-trimethyl-5,9-undecadien-1-ol. This represents a new chemical category of trail-following pheromones for termites. The quantity of
pheromone was estimated as 20 pg/individual in M. darwiniensis, 700 pg/individual in P. adamsoni, and 4 pg/individual in S. victoriensis. The activity threshold was 1 ng/cm in M. darwiniensis and 10 pg/cm in P. adamsoni. In M. darwiniensis, the trail pheromone was secreted by sternal gland 4 and to a lesser degree by sternal gland 3, sternal gland 5 being almost inactive. This study highlighted phylogenetic relationships between the Mastotermitidae and two subfamilies of the Termopsidae, the
Porotermitinae and the Stolotermitinae. Furthermore, it indicated a heterogeneity within the Termopsidae, with Porotermitinae and Stolotermitinae on one hand, and Termopsinae on the other. Finally, Mastotermitidae and Termopsidae, with C14 trail pheromones, are clearly separated from the Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, and Termitidae that secrete C12 or C20 trail pheromones.
Deep-Brain Stimulation for Basal Ganglia Disorders
PubMed Central
Wichmann, Thomas; DeLong, Mahlon R.
2011-01-01
The
realization that medications used to treat movement disorders and psychiatric conditions of basal ganglia origin have significant shortcomings, as well as advances in the understanding of the functional organization of the brain, has led to a renaissance in functional neurosurgery, and particularly the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Movement disorders are now routinely being treated with DBS of ‘motor’ portions of the basal ganglia output nuclei, specifically the
subthalamic nucleus and the internal pallidal segment. These procedures are highly effective and generally safe. Use of DBS is also being explored in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, with targeting of the ‘limbic’ basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry. The results of these procedures are also encouraging, but many unanswered questions remain in this emerging field. This review summarizes the scientific rationale and practical aspects of using DBS for neurologic and
neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:21804953
Evolutionary Consequences of DNA Methylation in a Basal Metazoan
PubMed Central
Dixon, Groves B.; Bay, Line K.; Matz, Mikhail V.
2016-01-01
Gene body methylation (gbM) is an ancestral and widespread feature in Eukarya, yet its adaptive value and evolutionary implications remain unresolved. The occurrence of gbM within protein-coding sequences is particularly puzzling, because methylation causes cytosine hypermutability and hence is likely to produce deleterious amino acid substitutions. We investigate this enigma using an evolutionarily basal
group of Metazoa, the stony corals (order Scleractinia, class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria). We show that patterns of coral gbM are similar to other invertebrate species, predicting wide and active transcription and slower sequence evolution. We also find a strong correlation between gbM and codon bias, resulting from systematic replacement of CpG bearing codons. We conclude that gbM has strong effects on codon evolution and speculate that this may influence establishment of optimal
codons. PMID:27189563
Complex Dynamics in the Basal Ganglia: Health and Disease Beyond the Motor System.
PubMed
Andres, Daniela S; Darbin, Olivier
2018-01-01
The rate and
oscillatory hypotheses are the two main current frameworks of basal ganglia pathophysiology. Both hypotheses have emerged from research on movement disorders sharing similar conceptualizations. These pathological conditions are classified either as hypokinetic or hyperkinetic, and the electrophysiological hallmarks of basal ganglia dysfunction are categorized as prokinetic or antikinetic. Although nonmotor symptoms, including neurobehavioral symptoms, are a key
manifestation of basal ganglia dysfunction, they are uncommonly accounted for in these models. In patients with Parkinson's disease, the broad spectrum of motor symptoms and neurobehavioral symptoms challenges the concept that basal ganglia disorders can be classified into two categories. The profile of symptoms of basal ganglia dysfunction is best characterized by a breakdown of information processing, accompanied at an electrophysiological level by
complex alterations of spiking activity from basal ganglia neurons. The authors argue that the dynamics of the basal ganglia circuit cannot be fully characterized by linear properties such as the firing rate or oscillatory activity. In fact, the neuronal spiking stream of the basal ganglia circuit is irregular but has temporal structure. In this context, entropy was introduced as a measure of probabilistic irregularity in the temporal organization of
neuronal activity of the basal ganglia, giving place to the entropy hypothesis of basal ganglia pathology. Obtaining a quantitative characterization of irregularity of spike trains from basal ganglia neurons is key to elaborating a new framework of basal ganglia pathophysiology.
Reliability of basal plasma vasopressin concentrations in healthy male adults.
PubMed
Quintana, Daniel S; Westlye, Lars T; Smerud, Knut T; Mahmoud, Ramy A; Djupesland, Per G; Andreassen, Ole A
2017-10-01
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) play important and interrelated roles in modulating mammalian social behaviour. While the OT system has received considerable research attention for its potential to treat psychiatric symptoms, comparatively little is known about the role of the AVP system in human social behaviour. To better understand the intraindividual stability of basal AVP, the present study assessed the reproducibility of basal
plasma AVP concentrations. Basal plasma AVP was assessed at four sampling points separated by 8 days, on average, in 16 healthy adult males. Only one out of six comparisons revealed strong evidence for reproducibility of basal AVP concentrations (visit 2 vs. visit 4: r=0.8, p0.1). The concordance correlation coefficient [0.15, 95% CI (-0.55, 0.73)] also revealed poor overall reproducibility. Poor reliability of basal AVP concentrations suggests future work
covarying AVP with trait markers should proceed with careful consideration of intraindividual fluctuations.
Regional Changes in Icescape Impact Shelf Circulation and Basal Melting
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cougnon, E. A.; Galton-Fenzi, B. K.; Rintoul, S. R.; Legrésy, B.; Williams, G. D.; Fraser, A. D.; Hunter, J. R.
2017-11-01
Ice shelf basal melt is the dominant contribution to mass loss from Antarctic ice shelves. However, the sensitivity of basal melt to changes in icescape (grounded icebergs, ice shelves, and sea ice) and related ocean
circulation is poorly understood. Here we simulate the impact of the major 2010 calving event of the Mertz Glacier Tongue (MGT), East Antarctica, and related redistribution of sea ice and icebergs on the basal melt rate of the local ice shelves. We find that the position of the grounded tabular iceberg B9B controls the water masses that reach the nearby ice shelf cavities. After the calving of the MGT and the removal of B9B, warmer water is present both within the MGT cavity and on
the continental shelf driving a 57% increase of the deep MGT basal melting. Major changes in icescape influence the oceanic heat flux responsible for basal ice shelf melting.
Clustering is a feature of the spiral ganglion in the basal turn.
β-Catenin Dosage Is a Critical Determinant of Tracheal Basal Cell Fate Determination
PubMed Central
Brechbuhl, Heather M.; Ghosh,
Moumita; Smith, Mary Kathryn; Smith, Russell W.; Li, Bilan; Hicks, Douglas A.; Cole, Brook B.; Reynolds, Paul R.; Reynolds, Susan D.
2011-01-01
The purpose of this study was to determine whether β-catenin regulates basal cell fate determination in the mouse trachea. Analysis of TOPGal transgene reporter activity and Wnt/β-catenin pathway gene expression suggested a role for β-catenin in basal cell proliferation and differentiation after naphthalene-mediated
Clara-like and ciliated cell depletion. However, these basal cell activities occurred simultaneously, limiting precise determination of the role(s) played by β-catenin. This issue was overcome by analysis of β-catenin signaling in tracheal air-liquid interface cultures. The cultures could be divided into two phases: basal cell proliferation and basal cell differentiation. A role for β-catenin in basal cell proliferation was indicated by
activation of the TOPGal transgene on proliferation days 3 to 5 and by transient expression of Myc (alias c-myc). Another peak of TOPGal transgene activity was detected on differentiation days 2 to 10 and was associated with the expression of Axin 2. These results suggest a role for β-catenin in basal to ciliated and basal to Clara-like cell differentiation. Genetic stabilization of β-catenin in basal cells shortened the period of basal cell
proliferation but had a minor effect on this process. Persistent β-catenin signaling regulated basal cell fate by driving the generation of ciliated cells and preventing the production of Clara-like cells. PMID:21703416
Structural differences in the bacterial flagellar motor among bacterial
species.
The bacterial flagellum is a supramolecular motility machine consisting of the basal body as a rotary motor, the hook as a universal joint, and the filament as a helical propeller. Intact structures of the bacterial flagella have
been observed for different bacterial species by electron cryotomography and subtomogram averaging. The core structures of the basal body consisting of the C ring, the MS ring, the rod and the protein export apparatus, and their organization are well conserved, but novel and divergent structures have also been visualized to surround the conserved structure of the basal body. This suggests that the flagellar motors have adapted to function in various
environments where bacteria live and survive. In this review, we will summarize our current findings on the divergent structures of the bacterial flagellar motor.
Life beyond the Basal.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Grey, Jeanne; Carbone, Carole
1987-01-01
Reading is a tool for learning. The goal for the teaching of reading must be to produce lovers of reading. A holistic approach should replace exclusive dependence on basal readers. Effective methods are the following: (1) language experience approach; (2) word banks; (3)
pattern books; (4) sustained silent reading; and (5) directed…
Thermal history regulates methylbutenol basal emission rate in Pinus ponderosa.
PubMed
Gray, Dennis W; Goldstein, Allen H;
Lerdau, Manuel T
2006-07-01
Methylbutenol (MBO) is a 5-carbon alcohol that is emitted by many pines in western North America, which may have important impacts on the tropospheric chemistry of this region. In this study, we document seasonal changes in basal MBO emission rates and test several models predicting these changes based on thermal history. These models represent extensions of the ISO G93 model that add a correction factor C(basal), allowing MBO
basal emission rates to change as a function of thermal history. These models also allow the calculation of a new emission parameter E(standard30), which represents the inherent capacity of a plant to produce MBO, independent of current or past environmental conditions. Most single-component models exhibited large departures in early and late season, and predicted day-to-day changes in basal emission rate with temporal offsets of up to 3 d relative to measured
basal emission rates. Adding a second variable describing thermal history at a longer time scale improved early and late season model performance while retaining the day-to-day performance of the parent single-component model. Out of the models tested, the T(amb),T(max7) model exhibited the best combination of day-to-day and seasonal predictions of basal MBO emission rates.
The Place of Career Women in the Basals.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leondis, Mary T.
A study analyzed two basal reading
series to determine if they depicted realistically the role of the career woman as she exists in society. A list of female careers in the 1989 editions of Houghton-Mifflin and McGraw Hill reading basals for grades 1 to 6 was compared to the career categories of the "United States Bureau of Census,…
Differentiation of anchoring junctions in tracheal basal cells in the growing rat.
PubMed
Evans, M J; Cox, R A; Burke, A S; Moller, P C
1992-02-01
A function of airway basal cells
is to attach ciliated and nonciliated columnar cells to the basal lamina. The significance of the basal cell in attachment is related to the height of the columnar epithelium. In taller epithelia, basal cells are more numerous and differentiated with respect to anchoring junctional adhesion mechanisms (desmosomes, hemidesmosomes, and the cytoskeleton) than in shorter epithelia. In this study, we determined if basal cell anchoring junctional
adhesion mechanisms differentiated during growth of the airway. Tracheas from five 3-day-old, five 30-day-old, and five 90-day-old rats were prepared for electron microscopy and morphometrically studied by standard techniques. The circumference of the trachea increased from 2.5 +/- 0.2 to 7.5 +/- 0.4 mm during growth. The height of the columnar cell increased from 13.4 +/- 1.5 to 24.6 +/- 3.9 microns, and the number of basal cells per millimeter increased from 3.2 +/- 0.7 to 9.6 +/-
1.8 during growth. The number of desmosomes per basal cell profile increased significantly from 1.5 +/- 0.1 to 2.1 +/- 0.1, as did keratin filament volume density from 0.046 +/- 0.05 to 0.098 +/- 0.032. The amount of hemidesmosome attachment per basal cell did not increase significantly during growth of the airway. These data demonstrate that as tracheas grow in circumference, the columnar cells increase in height, basal cells increase in number, and
anchoring junctional adhesion mechanisms differentiate in the basal cells. These changes are closely related to the height of the epithelium and result in maintaining a constant amount of attachment between the columnar epithelium and the basal lamina as the epithelium increases in height.
New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho
PubMed Central
Allain,
Ronan
2016-01-01
Melanorosaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph that currently includes two species from Southern Africa. In this paper, we redescribe the holotype femur of Melanorosaurus thabanensis from the Elliot Formation of Lesotho, as well as associated remains. The stratigraphic position of this taxon is reviewed, and it is clear that it comes from the Lower Elliot Formation being, therefore, Late Triassic in age, and not Early Jurassic as
originally described. The knowledge of the anatomy of the basal sauropodomorph of Thabana Morena is enhanced by the description of six new skeletal elements from the type locality. The femur and the ilium from Thabana Morena are diagnostic and characterized by unusual proportions. The first phylogenetic analysis including both this specimen and Melanorosaurus is conducted. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the femur described in the original publication of Melanorosaurus
thabanensis can no longer be referred to Melanorosaurus. For these reasons, we hereby create Meroktenos gen. nov. to encompass Meroktenos thabanensis comb. nov. PMID:26855874
Seed size and photoblastism in species belonging to tribe Cacteae (Cactaceae).
PubMed
Rojas-Aréchiga, Mariana; Mandujano, María C; Golubov, Jordan K
2013-05-01
The response of seed germination towards light and the relationship to seed traits has been studied particularly well in tropical forests. Several authors have shown a clear adaptive response of seed size and photoblastism, however, the evolutionary significance of this relationship for species
inhabiting arid environments has not been fully understood and only some studies have considered the response in a phylogenetic context. We collected seeds from 54 cacti species spread throughout the tribe Cacteae to test whether there was correlated evolution of photoblastism, seed traits and germination using a reconstructed phylogeny of the tribe. For each species we determined the photoblastic response under controlled conditions, and seed traits, and analyzed the
results using phylogenetically independent contrasts. All studied species were positive photoblastic contrasting with the basal Pereskia suggesting an early evolution of this trait. Seeds from basalspecies were mostly medium-sized, diverging into two groups. Seeds tend to get smaller and lighter suggesting an evolution to smaller sizes. No evidence exists of a relationship between seed size and photoblastic response suggesting that the
photoblastic response within members of this tribe is not adaptive though it is phylogenetically fixed and that is coupled with environmental cues that fine tune the germination response.
Vismodegib (ERIVEDGE°) In basal cell carcinoma: too many unknowns.
PubMed
2015-01-01
Basal cell carcinomas are the most common skin cancers. They are usually localised and carry a good prognosis. There is no standard treatment for the rare patients with metastatic basal cell carcinoma or very extensive basal cell carcinoma for whom surgery or radiotherapy is inappropriate. Vismodegib, a cytotoxic drug, is claimed to prevent
tumour growth by inhibiting a pathway involved in tissue repair and embryogenesis. It has been authorised in the European Union for patients with metastatic or locally advanced and extensive basal cell carcinoma. Clinical evaluation of vismodegib is based on a non-comparative clinical trial involving 104 patients, providing only weak evidence. Twenty-one months after the start of the trial, 7 patients with metastases (21%) and 6 patients with advanced basal cell
carcinoma (10%) had died. Given the lack of a placebo group, there is no way of knowing whether vismodegib had any effect, positive or negative, on survival. There were no complete responses among patients with metastases, but about one-third of them had partial responses. Among the 63 patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma, there were 14 complete responses and 16 partial responses. The recurrence rate in patients with complete responses was not reported. Similar
results were reported in two other uncontrolled trials available in mid-2014. Vismodegib has frequent and sometimes serious adverse effects, including muscle spasms, fatigue and severe hyponatraemia. Cases of severe weight loss, alopecia, ocular disorders, other cancers (including squamous cell carcinoma) and anaemia have also been reported. More data are needed on possible hepatic and cardiovascular adverse effects. A potent teratogenic effect was seen in experimental animals. As vismodegib
enters semen, contraception is mandatory for both men (condoms) and women. In practice, vismodegib has frequent and varied adverse effects, some of which are serious, while its benefits are poorly documented
A new species of Nilothauma Kieffer from China, with a key to known
species of the genus (Diptera: Chironomidae).
A new species of the genus Nilothauma Kieffer, N. pandum sp. n., is described, and its morphological descriptions and illustrations are also given. A key to the males of Nilothauma is given. The adult male of N. pandum sp. n. can be
distinguished from known species of the genus by the following combination of characters: anal point very broadly lanceolate with microtrichia in median ridge and apical margin, rounded at apex; superior volsella pad-like, expanded distally; median volsella curved, rounded at apex, with 2 long basal setae and 1 long median seta.
The Maize PI/GLO Ortholog Zmm16/sterile tassel silky ear1 Interacts with the Zygomorphy and Sex Determination Pathways in Flower Development.
PubMed
Bartlett, Madelaine E; Williams, Steven K; Taylor, Zac; DeBlasio,
Stacy; Goldshmidt, Alexander; Hall, Darren H; Schmidt, Robert J; Jackson, David P; Whipple, Clinton J
The Maize PI/GLO Ortholog Zmm16/sterile tassel silky ear1 Interacts with the Zygomorphy and Sex Determination Pathways in
Flower Development[OPEN
PubMed Central
Bartlett, Madelaine E.; Williams, Steven K.; Taylor, Zac; DeBlasio, Stacy; Hall, Darren H.; Schmidt, Robert J.; Jackson, David P.
2015-01-01
In monocots and eudicots, B class function specifies second and third whorl floral organ identity as described in the classic ABCE model. Grass B class APETALA3/DEFICIENS orthologs have
been functionally characterized; here, we describe the positional cloning and characterization of a maize (Zea mays) PISTILLATA/GLOBOSA ortholog Zea mays mads16 (Zmm16)/sterile tassel silky ear1 (sts1). We show that, similar to many eudicots, all the maize B class proteins bind DNA as obligate heterodimers and positively regulate their own expression. However, sts1 mutants have novel phenotypes that provide insight into two derived aspects of maize flower development: carpel
abortion and floral asymmetry. Specifically, we show that carpel abortion acts downstream of organ identity and requires the growth-promoting factor grassy tillers1 and that the maize B class genes are expressed asymmetrically, likely in response to zygomorphy of grass floral primordia. Further investigation reveals that floral phyllotactic patterning is also zygomorphic, suggesting significant mechanistic differences with the well-characterized models of floral polarity. These unexpected
results show that despite extensive study of B class gene functions in diverse flowering plants, novel insights can be gained from careful investigation of homeotic mutants outside the core eudicot model species. PMID:26518212
Mesogondolella and Jinogondolella (Conodonta):
Multielement definition of the taxa that bracket the basal Guadalupian (Middle Permian Series) GSSP
USGS Publications Warehouse
Lambert, L.L.; Wardlaw, B.R.; Henderson, C.M.
2007-01-01
Multielement definitions are presented here for Mesogondolella and Jinogondolella based on species that bracket the basal Guadalupian (Middle Permian Series) GSSP.
Distinctive apparatus characters that appear with the first Jinogondolella include several details of P2 element dimorphism and process bifurcation in S3 elements. The sequential expression of these multielement characters is traced through M. idahoensis, M. lamberti, and J. nankingensis. The resulting multielement definition of Jinogondolella serves to distinguish it from all other closely related genera. Mesogondolella lamberti is recognized as a distinct species, and J. serrata
is formally designated a junior synonym of J. nankingensis. ?? 2007 Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS.
Basal Forebrain Gating by Somatostatin Neurons Drives Prefrontal Cortical Activity.
The basal ganglia control body movements, mainly, based on their values. Critical for this mechanism is dopamine neurons, which sends unpredicted value signals, mainly, to the striatum. This mechanism enables animals to change their behaviors flexibly, eventually choosing a valuable behavior. However, this may not be the best behavior, because the flexible choice is focused on recent, and, therefore, limited, experiences (i.e., short-term
memories). Our old and recent studies suggest that the basal ganglia contain separate circuits that process value signals in a completely different manner. They are insensitive to recent changes in value, yet gradually accumulate the value of each behavior (i.e., movement or object choice). These stable circuits eventually encode values of many behaviors and then retain the value signals for a long time (i.e., long-term memories). They are innervated by a separate group of dopamine
neurons that retain value signals, even when no reward is predicted. Importantly, the stable circuits can control motor behaviors (e.g., hand or eye) quickly and precisely, which allows animals to automatically acquire valuable outcomes based on historical life experiences. These behaviors would be called 'skills', which are crucial for survival. The stable circuits are localized in the posterior part of the basal ganglia, separately from the flexible circuits located in the
anterior part. To summarize, the flexible and stable circuits in the basal ganglia, working together but independently, enable animals (and humans) to reach valuable goals in various contexts.
Basal metabolic
rate in free-living tropical birds: the influence of phylogenetic, behavioral, and ecological factors
PubMed Central
Tolstenkov, Oleg; Zubkova, Ekaterina; Solovyeva, Eugenia; Kerimov, Anvar
2018-01-01
Abstract The majority of our knowledge of avian energetics is based on studies of birds from temperate and high latitudes. Using the largest existing sample of wild-caught Old World
tropical species, we showed that birds from Southern Vietnam had lower basal metabolic rate (BMR) than temperate species. The strongest dissimilarity between tropical and temperate species was the low scaling exponent in the allometric relation between BMR and body mass in tropical birds (the regression slope was 0.573). The passerine migrants to temperate and high latitudes had higher BMR than tropical sedentary passerines. Body mass alone
accounted for 93% of the variation in BMR (body mass ranged from 5 to 252 g). Contrary to some other studies, we did not find evidence besides the above mentioned that phylogeny, taxonomy, behavior, or ecology have a significant influence on BMR variation among tropical birds. PMID:29492036
Extensive
basal ganglia edema caused by a traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula: a rare presentation related to a basal vein of Rosenthal anatomical variation.
The authors
report a very rare presentation of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) with extensive edema of the basal ganglia and brainstem because of an anatomical variation of the basal vein of Rosenthal (BVR). A 45-year-old woman was admitted to the authors' institution for left hemiparesis, dysarthria, and a comatose state caused by right orbital trauma from a thin metal rod. Brain MRI showed a right CCF and vasogenic edema of the right side of the brainstem, right
temporal lobe, and basal ganglia. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed a high-flow direct CCF and revealed a hypoplastic second segment of the BVR responsible for the hypertension in inferior striate veins and venous congestion. Endovascular treatment was performed on an emergency basis. One month after treatment, the patient's symptoms and MRI signal abnormalities almost totally disappeared. Basal ganglia and brainstem venous congestion may occur in traumatic CCF
in cases of a hypoplastic or agenetic second segment of the BVR and may provoke emergency treatment.
Slope variation and population structure of tree species from different ecological groups in South Brazil.
PubMed
Bianchini, Edmilson; Garcia, Cristina C; Pimenta, José A; Torezan, José M D
2010-09-01
Size structure and spatial arrangement of 13 abundant tree species were determined in a riparian forest fragment in Paraná State, South Brazil (23°16'S and 51°01'W). The studied species were Aspidosperma polyneuron Müll. Arg., Astronium graveolens Jacq. and Gallesia
integrifolia (Spreng) Harms (emergent species); Alseis floribunda Schott, Ruprechtia laxiflora Meisn. and Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (shade-intolerant canopy species); Machaerium paraguariense Hassl, Myroxylum peruiferum L. and Chrysophyllum gonocarpum (Mart. & Eichler ex Miq.) Engl. (shade-tolerant canopy species); Sorocea bonplandii (Baill.) Bürger, Trichilia casaretti C. Dc, Trichilia catigua A. Juss. and Actinostemon concolor (Spreng.) Müll.
Arg. (understory small trees species). Height and diameter structures and basal area of species were analyzed. Spatial patterns and slope correlation were analyzed by Moran's / spatial autocorrelation coefficient and partial Mantel test, respectively. The emergent and small understory species showed the highest and the lowest variations in height, diameter and basal area. Size distribution differed among emergent
species and also among canopy shade-intolerant species. The spatial pattern ranged among species in all groups, except in understory small tree species. The slope was correlated with spatial pattern for A. polyneuron, A. graveolens, A. floribunda, R. laxiflora, M. peruiferum and T. casaretti. The results indicated that most species occurred in specific places, suggesting that niche differentiation can be an important factor in
structuring the tree community.
Long-term basal area and diameter growth responses of western hemlock-sitka spruce stands in southeast Alaska to a range of thinning intensities.
Treesearch
Nathan J.
Poage
2008-01-01
To better understand the long-term basal area and diameter growth response of young, well-stocked, even-aged, mixed-species stands of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) to a range of thinning intensities (heavy, moderate, light, and unthinned), 20 years of...
The Pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 Sustains Vitamin B6 Biosynthesis as a Function of Heat Stress1[OPEN
PubMed Central
Boycheva, Svetlana
2017-01-01
Plants
sense temperature changes and respond by altering growth and metabolic activity to acclimate to the altered environmental conditions. The B vitamins give rise to vital coenzymes that are indispensable for growth and development but their inherent reactive nature renders them prone to destruction especially under stress conditions. Therefore, plant survival strategies would be expected to include mechanisms to sustain B vitamin supply under demanding circumstances. Here, using the example of
vitamin B6, we investigate the regulation of biosynthesis across eudicot and monocot species under heat stress. Most eudicots carry a pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 that is a noncatalytic homolog of the PDX1 subunit of the vitamin B6 biosynthesis protein machinery, PYRIDOXINE BIOSYNTHESIS PROTEIN1. Using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as models, we show that PDX1.2 is transcriptionally regulated by the HSFA1 transcription factor
family. Monocots only carry catalytic PDX1 homologs that do not respond to heat stress as demonstrated for rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays), suggesting fundamental differences in the regulation of vitamin B6 biosynthesis across the two lineages. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of PDX1.2 transcription reveals two alternative transcriptional start sites, one of which is exclusive to heat stress. Further data suggest that PDX1.2 leads to stabilization of the catalytic PDX1s under
heat stress conditions, which would serve to maintain vitamin B6 homeostasis in times of need in eudicots that carry this gene. Our analyses indicate an important abiotic stress tolerance strategy in several eudicots, which has not been evolutionarily adapted (or is not required) by monocots such as grasses. PMID:28550206
Advancement of tree species across ecotonal borders into non-forested ecosystems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hanberry, Brice B.; Hansen, Mark H.
2015-10-01
Woody
species are increasing in density, causing transition to more densely wooded vegetation states, and encroaching across ecotonal borders into non-forested ecosystems. We examined USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data to identify tree species that have expanded longitudinally in range, particularly into the central United States. We analyzed compositional differences within ecological regions (i.e., subsections) in eastern and western ranges of
species using repeated measures ANOVA. We considered differences in outer ranges to indicate range expansion or contraction. We also estimated the shift in forest area and basal area relative to the center of the US and compared change in deciduous forest land cover. Out of 80 candidate species, 22 species expanded to the west, seven species expanded to the east, and five species expanded in both directions. During the
survey interval, eastern tree species advanced into the predominantly non-forested ecosystems of central United States. Eastern cottonwood, eastern hophornbeam, eastern redbud, honeylocust, Osage-orange, pecan, red mulberry, and Shumard oak represent some of the species that are advancing eastern forest boundaries across forest-grassland ecotones into the central United States. Forest land has shifted towards the center of the continent, as has the center of mean tree
basal area, and a simple comparison of deciduous cover change also displayed forest advancement into the central United States from eastern forests. The expanding species may spread along riparian migration corridors that provide protection from drought. Humans use the advancing tree species for windbreaks, fencerows, and ornamental landscaping, while wildlife spread fruit seeds, which results in unintentional assisted migration, or translocation, to drier
sites across the region.
Basal testosterone, leadership and dominance: A field study and meta-analysis.
PubMed
van der Meij, Leander; Schaveling, Jaap; van Vugt, Mark
Sex and species specific isotopic niche specialisation increases with trophic complexity: evidence from an ephemeral pond ecosystem
PubMed
Central
Dalu, Tatenda; Wasserman, Ryan J.; Vink, Tim J. F.; Weyl, Olaf L. F.
2017-01-01
It is generally accepted that organisms that naturally exploit an ecosystem facilitate coexistence, at least partially, through resource partitioning. Resource availability is, however, highly variable in space and time and as such the extent of resource partitioning must be somewhat dependent on availability. Here we test aspects of resource partitioning at the inter- and intra-specific
level, in relation to resource availability in an atypical aquatic environment using an isotope approach. Using closely related key organisms from an ephemeral pond, we test for differences in isotopic signatures between two species of copepod and between sexes within each species, in relation to heterogeneity of basal food resources over the course of the ponds hydroperiod. We show that basal food resource heterogeneity increases over time
initially, and then decreases towards the end of the hydroperiod, reflective of the expected evolution of trophic complexity for these systems. Resource partitioning also varied between species and sexes, over the hydroperiod with intra- and inter-specific specialisation relating to resource availability. Intra-specific specialisation was particularly evident in the omnivorous copepod species. Our findings imply that trophic specialisation at both the intra- and
inter-specific level is partly driven by basal food resource availability. PMID:28233858
Preliminary evaluation of the basal sandstone in Tennessee for receiving injected wastes
USGS Publications
Warehouse
Mulderink, Dolores; Bradley, M.W.
1986-01-01
The EPA is authorized, under the Safe Drinking Water Act, to administer the Underground Injection Control program. This program allows for the regulation of deep-well disposal of wastes and establishes criteria to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination. The basal sandstone in Tennessee occurs west of the Valley and Ridge province at depths of 5,000 to 9,000 ft below land surface.
The basal sandstone consists of about 30 to 750 ft of Cambrian sandstone overlying the crystalline basement complex. The basal sandstone is overlain and confined by shale and carbonate rocks of the Middle and Upper Cambrian Conasauga Group. Hydrologic data for the basal sandstone, available from only three sites (four wells) in Tennessee, indicate that the basal sandstone generally has low porosity and permeability with a few zones having
enough permeability to accept injected fluids. Limited water quality data indicate the basal sandstone contains water with dissolved solids concentrations exceeding 10,000 mg/L. Since the dissolved-solids concentrations exceed 10,000 mg/L, the basal sandstone is not classified as an underground source of drinking water according to EPA regulations. (Author 's abstract)
Basal melt rates of Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Humbert, A.; Nicholls, K. W.; Corr, H. F. J.; Steinhage, D.; Stewart, C.; Zeising, O.
2017-12-01
Thinning
of ice shelves around Antarctica has been found to be partly driven by an increase in basal melt as a result of warmer waters entering the sub-ice shelf cavity. In-situ observations of basal melt rate are, however, sparse. A new robust and efficient phase sensitive radio echo sounder (pRES) allows to measure change in ice thickness and vertical strain at high accuracy, so that the contribution of basal melt to the change in thickness can be estimated. As
modeling studies suggest that the cavity beneath Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica, might be prone to intrusion of warm water pulses within this century, we wished to derive a baseline dataset and an understanding of its present day spatial variability. Here we present results from pRES measurements over two field seasons, 2015/16-16/17, comprising 86 datasets over the southern Filchner Ice Shelf, covering an area of about 6500km2. The maximum melt rate is only slightly more than 1m/a, but the
spatial distribution exhibits a complex pattern. For the purpose of testing variability of basal melt rates on small spatial scales, we performed 26 measurements over distances of about 1km, and show that the melt rates do not vary by more than 0.25m/a.
Three-dimensional structure of basal body triplet revealed by electron cryo-tomography
PubMed Central
Li, Sam; Fernandez, Jose-Jesus;
Marshall, Wallace F; Agard, David A
2012-01-01
Basal bodies and centrioles play central roles in microtubule (MT)-organizing centres within many eukaryotes. They share a barrel-shaped cylindrical structure composed of nine MT triplet blades. Here, we report the structure of the basal body triplet at 33 Å resolution obtained by electron cryo-tomography and 3D subtomogram averaging. By fitting the atomic structure of tubulin into the EM density, we built a
pseudo-atomic model of the tubulin protofilaments at the core of the triplet. The 3D density map reveals additional densities that represent non-tubulin proteins attached to the triplet, including a large inner circular structure in the basal body lumen, which functions as a scaffold to stabilize the entire basal body barrel. We found clear longitudinal structural variations along the basal body, suggesting a sequential and coordinated assembly mechanism.
We propose a model in which δ-tubulin and other components participate in the assembly of the basal body. PMID:22157822
Transdifferentiation between Luminal- and Basal-Type Cancer Cells
DTIC Science &
Technology
2013-04-01
cancer patients have few choices of therapeutic agents. The MB231 cell line is a basal type cell line and is resistant to EGFR inhibitor erlotinib...mitotic inhibitor paclitaxel and DNA damaging agent cisplatin. However, over- expression of PKD1 makes the cell line sensitive to erlotinib and...approach will help to understand how PKD1 acts in basal-type cancer cells; (3) using existing small molecule inhibitors for PKD1 to treat
breast cancer
Lixisenatide plus basal insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis.
PubMed
Charbonnel, Bernard; Bertolini, Monica; Tinahones, Francisco J; Domingo,
Manuel Puig; Davies, Melanie
Optimizing inpatient glycemic control with basal-bolus insulin therapy.
PubMed
Pollom, R Daniel
2010-11-01
Hyperglycemia is highly prevalent in the acute-care setting and is associated with
an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that glycemic control in this population is suboptimal, due in part to continued use of nonphysiologic sliding-scale insulin strategies without scheduled basal insulin doses or prandial insulin with concomitant correction doses. Although the ineffectiveness and risks of sliding-scale insulin regimens have been criticized for decades, sliding-scale insulin is still the most commonly prescribed subcutaneous insulin
regimen among inpatients. Improving inpatient management requires the use of scheduled basal-bolus insulin therapy that includes basal insulin, nutritional insulin, and supplemental, or correctional, insulin. Insulin analogs are the preferred insulins, as they provide a more physiologic action than human insulin regimens, are associated with a lower risk of hypoglycemia, and are more convenient to administer than human insulins. Standardized insulin protocols and
subcutaneous insulin order sets are critical components of effective inpatient glycemic control. Although preliminary data have demonstrated that inpatient diabetes management programs involving basal-bolus insulin therapy are effective and well tolerated, more research is needed.
Basal body assembly in ciliates: the power of numbers
PubMed Central
Pearson, Chad G.; Winey, Mark
2009-01-01
Centrioles
perform the dual functions of organizing both centrosomes and cilia. The biogenesis of nascent centrioles is an essential cellular event that is tightly coupled to the cell cycle so that each cell contains only two or four centrioles at any given point in the cell cycle. The assembly of centrioles and their analogs, basal bodies, is well characterized at the ultrastructural level whereby structural modules are built into a functional organelle. Genetic studies in model organisms
combined with proteomic, bioinformatic, and identifying ciliary disease gene orthologs have revealed a wealth of molecules requiring further analysis to determine their roles in centriole duplication, assembly, and function. Nonetheless, at this stage our understanding of how molecular components interact to build new centrioles and basal bodies is limited. The ciliates, Tetrahymena and Paramecium, historically have been the subject of cytological and genetic study of
basal bodies. Recent advances in the ciliate genetic and molecular toolkit have placed these model organisms in a favorable position to study the molecular mechanisms of centriole and basal body assembly. PMID:19192246
Children's Literature in the
Basals.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Brien, Maureen A.
Three basal reading series, levels kindergarten through grade three, were studied to categorize the types of literature each contained. The following series were analyzed: "The Headway Program" (Open Court Publishing Company), "Series r Macmillan Reading," and
"Basics in Reading" (Scott, Foresman and Company). It was…
The expanding universe of disorders of the basal ganglia.
PubMed
Obeso, Jose A; Rodriguez-Oroz, Maria C; Stamelou, Maria;
Bhatia, Kailash P; Burn, David J
Comparison of computer-integrated patient-controlled epidural analgesia with no initial basal infusion versus moderate basal
infusion for labor and delivery: A randomized controlled trial
PubMed Central
Sng, Ban Leong; Woo, David; Leong, Wan Ling; Wang, Hao; Assam, Pryseley Nkouibert; Sia, Alex TH
2014-01-01
Background and Aims: Computer-integrated patient-controlled epidural analgesia (CIPCEA) is a novel epidural drug delivery system. It automatically adjusts the basal infusion based on
the individual's need for analgesia as labor progresses. Materials and Methods: This study compared the time-weighted local anesthetic (LA) consumption by comparing parturients using CIPCEA with no initial basal infusion (CIPCEA0) with CIPCEA with initial moderate basal infusion of 5 ml/H (CIPCEA5). We recruited 76 subjects after ethics approval. The computer integration of CIPCEA titrate the basal infusion to 5, 10, 15, or 20 ml/H if the parturient
required respectively, one, two, three, or four patient demands in the previous hour. The basal infusion reduced by 5 ml/H if there was no demand in the previous hour. The sample size was calculated to show equivalence in LA consumption. Results: The time-weighted LA consumption between both groups were similar with CIPCEA0 group (mean [standard deviation (SD)] 8.9 [3.5] mg/H) compared to the CIPCEA5 group (mean [SD] 9.9 [3.5] mg/H), P = 0.080. Both groups had a similar incidence of
breakthrough pain, duration of the second stage, mode of delivery, and patient satisfaction. However, more subjects in the CIPCEA0 group required patient self-bolus. There were no differences in fetal outcomes. Discussion: Both CIPCEA regimens had similar time-weighted LA consumption and initial moderate basal infusion with CIPCEA may not be required. PMID:25425774
Deconstructing breast cancer heterogeneity: clinical implications for women with Basal-like tumors.
PubMed
Rattani, Nabila S; Swift-Scanlan, Theresa
2014-11-01
To compare and contrast the molecular and environmental factors contributing to basal-like breast cancer and highlight
the clinical implications for women with this phenotype. CINAHL® and PubMed databases, journals, and citation indices were searched using the key word basal-like in combination with breast cancer, epigenetic, treatment, subtype, risk factor, and BRCA1 to synthesize the literature on the multiple underpinnings of basal-like breast cancer. Research findings related to the molecular foundation of basal-like breast cancer were integrated with knowledge of
nongenetic contributing risk factors. Approved therapies and those under development were summarized with the goal of improving understanding for research and practice. Of the five subtypes of breast cancer, the basal-like subtype has the shortest survival and poorest prognosis. The development of gene expression assays with epigenetic studies has enabled reliable identification of the basal-like subtype and has shed light on novel therapeutic possibilities. Clinical
trials for basal-like breast cancer are underway, and the potential for individualized treatments for women with this subtype show promise. The main difficulties with basal-like breast cancer are its aggressive course, treatment refractory nature, and complex biology, all of which pose real challenges for clinical management and patient education. Oncology nurses play a pivotal role in providing holistic care and patient support. Therefore, nurses must understand the
complexity of the clinical presentation and the underlying biology of this cancer subtype.
A spiking neural network based on the basal ganglia functional anatomy.
Greenland deep boreholes inform on sliding and deformation of the basal ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dahl-Jensen, D.
2017-12-01
Repeated measurements of the deformation of the
deep boreholes on the Greenland ice sheet informs on the basal sliding, near basal deformation and in general on the horizontal velocity through the ice. Results of the logging of the boreholes at Dye3, GRIP, NGRIP, NEEM and Camp Century through the last 40 years by the Danish Ice and Climate group will be presented and discussed. The results on the flow will be compared with the information on ice properties, impurity load and bedrock entrained material from the deep
ice cores and the radio echo sounding images near the drill sites.The results show that the basal movement often happens in an impurity rich zone above the bedrock while pure basal sliding is limited even in the presence of basal water and significant basal melt.Most of the deep ice core sites are located close to ice divides where the surface velocity is limited so significant basal sliding is not expected. Exceptions are the
surface velocities at Camp Century and Dye 3, both being 13 m/yr.Finally, the ongoing deep drilling at EGRIP will shortly be presented where we are drilling in the center of the North East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS).
Basal melt beneath whillans ice stream and ice streams A and C
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Joughin, I.; Teluezyk, S.; Engelhardt, H.
2002-01-01
We have used a recently derived map of the velocity of Whillans Ice Stream and Ice Streams A and C to help estimate basal melt. Temperature was modeled with a simple vertical advection-diffusion equation, 'tuned' to match temperature profiles. We find that most of the melt occurs beneath the tributaries where larger
basal shear stresses and thicker ice favors greater melt (e.g., 10-20 mm/yr). The occurrence of basal freezing is predicted beneath much of the ice plains of Ice Stream C and Whillans Ice Stream. Modelled melt rates for when Ice Stream C was active suggest there was just enough melt water generated in its tributaries to balance basal freezing on its ice plain. Net basal melt for Whillans Ice Stream is positive due to smaller basal
temperature gradients. Modelled temperatures on Whillans Ice Stream, however, were constrained by a single temperature profile at UpB. Basal temperature gradients for Whillans B1 and Ice Stream A may have conditions more similar to those beneath Ice Streams C and D, in which case, there may not be sufficient melt to sustain motion. This would be consistent with the steady deceleration of Whillans stream over the last few decades.
Basal erosion: barrier to earthquake propagation? Insight from the northern chilean forearc
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cubas, N.
2017-12-01
Subducted topographic features have
often been suspected as barriers to large earthquake propagation. These features would induce basal erosion, leading to a large network of fractures impeding large nucleation or shear localization. Looking for correlation between basal erosion and megathrust ruptures is thus critical nowadays to understand earthquake mechanics and infer rupture scenarios. In this study, we propose to seek possible location of basal erosion from the forearc morphology by
applying the critical taper theory. We focus on the North Chile subduction zone that has experienced four major earthquakes during the last two decades and where basal erosion and seamount subduction have already been suspected. Basal erosion should occur when the basal friction approaches the internal friction. We thus seek what part of the forearc is at critical state and select areas for which the two frictions are almost equal. We find a large band,
located at 25km depth, from the Mejillones peninsula to the Iquique region at critical state with very high basal friction. The critical areas seem to surround the Tocopilla 2007 Mw 7.7 and the Iquique 2014 Mw 8.1 ruptures. When compared with the interseismic coupling, except for the Tocopilla segment, the critical areas are located in low-coupled zones. More interestingly, the reported normal faults of the forearc do not appear above the erosional areas but rather between them.
These normal faults are systematically located above locked patches and seismic asperities. These areas are actually at extensional critical state and characterized by a very low effective friction. We thus suspect the extensional features to be related to earthquakes rather than basal erosion. We then look for similar relationships along the Sumatra subduction zone to see if basal erosion is a common process. The Tocopilla and Iquique earthquakes ruptured only part of
the northern Chile seismic gap although the full segment was ready for a new large
Marine ice sheet model performance depends on basal sliding physics and sub-shelf melting
NASA Astrophysics
Data System (ADS)
Gladstone, Rupert Michael; Warner, Roland Charles; Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin Keith; Gagliardini, Olivier; Zwinger, Thomas; Greve, Ralf
2017-01-01
Computer models are necessary for understanding and predicting marine ice sheet behaviour. However, there is uncertainty over implementation of physical processes at the ice base, both for grounded and floating glacial ice. Here we implement several sliding relations in a marine ice sheet flow-line model accounting
for all stress components and demonstrate that model resolution requirements are strongly dependent on both the choice of basal sliding relation and the spatial distribution of ice shelf basal melting.Sliding relations that reduce the magnitude of the step change in basal drag from grounded ice to floating ice (where basal drag is set to zero) show reduced dependence on resolution compared to a commonly used relation, in which
basal drag is purely a power law function of basal ice velocity. Sliding relations in which basal drag goes smoothly to zero as the grounding line is approached from inland (due to a physically motivated incorporation of effective pressure at the bed) provide further reduction in resolution dependence.A similar issue is found with the imposition of basal melt under the floating part of the ice shelf: melt parameterisations that reduce the
abruptness of change in basal melting from grounded ice (where basal melt is set to zero) to floating ice provide improved convergence with resolution compared to parameterisations in which high melt occurs adjacent to the grounding line.Thus physical processes, such as sub-glacial outflow (which could cause high melt near the grounding line), impact on capability to simulate marine ice sheets. If there exists an abrupt change across the grounding line in either
basal drag or basal melting, then high resolution will be required to solve the problem. However, the plausible combination of a physical dependency of basal drag on effective pressure, and the possibility of low ice shelf basal melt rates next to the grounding line, may mean that some marine ice sheet systems can be reliably simulated at
Species-environment relationships and vegetation patterns: Effects of spatial scale and tree life-stage
USGS Publications Warehouse
Stohlgren, T.J.; Bachand, R.R.; Onami, Y.; Binkley, Dan
1998-01-01
Do relationships between species and environmental gradients strengthen or weaken with tree life-stage (i.e., small seedlings, large seedlings, saplings, and mature trees)? Strengthened relationships may lead to distinct forest type boundaries, or weakening connections could lead to gradual ecotones and heterogeneous forest landscapes. We quantified the changes in forest dominance (basal area of tree species by life-stage) and environmental factors
(elevation, slope, aspect, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), summer soil moisture, and soil depth and texture) across 14 forest ecotones (n = 584, 10 m x 10 m plots) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, U.S.A. Local, ecotone-specific species-environment relationships, based on multiple regression techniques, generally strengthened from the small seedling stage (multiple R2 ranged from 0.00 to 0.26) to the tree stage (multiple R2 ranged from 0.20 to 0.61).
At the landscape scale, combined canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) among species and for all tree life-stages suggested that the seedlings of most species became established in lower-elevation, drier sites than where mature trees of the same species dominated. However, conflicting evidence showed that species-environment relationships may weaken with tree life-stage. Seedlings were only found in a subset of plots (habitats) occupied by
mature trees of the same species. At the landscape scale, CCA results showed that species-environment relationships weakened somewhat from the small seedling stage (86.4% of the variance explained by the first two axes) to the tree stage (76.6% of variance explained). The basal area of tree species co-occurring with Pinus contorta Doug. ex. Loud declined more gradually than P. contorta basal area declined across ecotones, resulting
in less-distinct forest type boundaries. We conclude that broad, gradual ecotones and heterogeneous forest landscapes are created and maintained by: (1) sporadic establishment
Readability Levels of First and Second Grade Basal Texts.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Langan, Yvette
The Fry Readability Formula was used to determine the readability levels of 12 first and second grade basal texts. These texts were part of the Ginn 360, Ginn 720, and Macmillan Series "r" basal reader series. The results showed that 4 of the 12 books tested did not correspond closely to the
publisher's readability levels. The Ginn 720 text for…
Mining the Giardia genome and proteome for conserved and unique basal body proteins
PubMed Central
Lauwaet, Tineke; Smith, Alias J.; Reiner, David S.; Romijn, Edwin P.; Wong, Catherine C. L.; Davids, Barbara J.; Shah, Sheila A.; Yates, John R.; Gillin, Frances D.
2015-01-01
Giardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan parasite and a major cause of diarrhea in humans. Its microtubular cytoskeleton mediates trophozoite motility, attachment and cytokinesis, and is characterized by an
attachment disk and eight flagella that are each nucleated in a basal body. To date, only 10 giardial basal body proteins have been identified, including universal signaling proteins that are important for regulating mitosis or differentiation. In this study, we have exploited bioinformatics and proteomic approaches to identify new Giardia basal body proteins and confocal microscopy to confirm their localization in interphase trophozoites. This approach
identified 75 homologs of conserved basal body proteins in the genome including 65 not previously known to be associated with Giardia basal bodies. Thirteen proteins were confirmed to co-localize with centrin to the Giardia basal bodies. We also demonstrate that most basal body proteins localize to additional cytoskeletal structures in interphase trophozoites. This might help to explain the roles of the four pairs of flagella and
Giardia-specific organelles in motility and differentiation. A deeper understanding of the composition of the Giardia basal bodies will contribute insights into the complex signaling pathways that regulate its unique cytoskeleton and the biological divergence of these conserved organelles. PMID:21723868
Cortical stimulation evokes abnormal responses in the dopamine-depleted rat basal ganglia.
PubMed
Kita, Hitoshi; Kita, Takako
2011-07-13
The motor cortex (MC) sends massive projections to the
basal ganglia. Motor disabilities in patients and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) may be caused by dopamine (DA)-depleted basal ganglia that abnormally process the information originating from MC. To study how DA depletion alters signal transfer in the basal ganglia, MC stimulation-induced (MC-induced) unitary responses were recorded from the basal ganglia of control and 6-hydroxydopamine-treated hemi-parkinsonian rats anesthetized
with isoflurane. This report describes new findings about how DA depletion alters MC-induced responses. MC stimulation evokes an excitation in normally quiescent striatal (Str) neurons projecting to the globus pallidus external segment (GPe). After DA-depletion, the spontaneous firing of Str-GPe neurons increases, and MC stimulation evokes a shorter latency excitation followed by a long-lasting inhibition that was invisible under normal conditions. The increased firing activity and the newly
exposed long inhibition generate tonic inhibition and a disfacilitation in GPe. The disfacilitation in GPe is then amplified in basal ganglia circuitry and generates a powerful long inhibition in the basal ganglia output nucleus, the globus pallidus internal segment. Intra-Str injections of a behaviorally effective dose of DA precursor l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine effectively reversed these changes. These newly observed mechanisms also support the generation of pauses
and burst activity commonly observed in the basal ganglia of parkinsonian subjects. These results suggest that the generation of abnormal response sequences in the basal ganglia contributes to the development of motor disabilities in PD and that intra-Str DA supplements effectively suppress abnormal signal transfer.
Towards a biopsychological understanding of costly punishment: the role of basal cortisol.
PubMed
Pfattheicher, Stefan; Keller, Johannes
2014-01-01
Recent findings have documented a negative
relation of basal endogenous cortisol and aggression after a provocation (i.e., reactive aggression) in humans. We build on these findings and investigated the relation of endogenous cortisol and reactive aggression in a social dilemma situation, that is, costly punishment of individuals who did not appropriately contribute to a common group project. Specifically, we predicted that basal cortisol is negatively related to costly punishment of uncooperative individuals.
In the present study, basal cortisol was assessed prior to a public goods game with the option to punish other group members. In line with previous research on reactive aggression and basal cortisol, we found that basal cortisol was indeed negatively related to costly punishment. The findings are important for understanding costly punishment because this tendency has been documented as a possible basis for the evolution of cooperation.
Towards a Biopsychological Understanding of Costly Punishment: The Role of Basal Cortisol
PubMed Central
Pfattheicher, Stefan; Keller,
Johannes
2014-01-01
Recent findings have documented a negative relation of basal endogenous cortisol and aggression after a provocation (i.e., reactive aggression) in humans. We build on these findings and investigated the relation of endogenous cortisol and reactive aggression in a social dilemma situation, that is, costly punishment of individuals who did not appropriately contribute to a common group project. Specifically, we predicted that basal cortisol
is negatively related to costly punishment of uncooperative individuals. In the present study, basal cortisol was assessed prior to a public goods game with the option to punish other group members. In line with previous research on reactive aggression and basal cortisol, we found that basal cortisol was indeed negatively related to costly punishment. The findings are important for understanding costly punishment because this tendency has been documented as
a possible basis for the evolution of cooperation. PMID:24416441
Species composition, diversity and structure of novel forests of Castilla elastica in Puerto Rico
Treesearch
J. Fonseca da Silva;
NO-VALUE
2014-01-01
Attributes of novel forests (secondary forests containing introduced species) were compared with those of native secondary forests of similar age. The study area was the biological reserve called El Tallonal, in Puerto Rico. Species composition, tree density, basal area and soil bulk density were characterized; Importance value index (IVI), Shannonâs diversity index (H...
Emergence of context-dependent variability across a basal ganglia network.
PubMed
Woolley, Sarah C; Rajan, Raghav; Joshua, Mati; Doupe, Allison J
Emergence of context-dependent variability across a basal ganglia network
PubMed Central
Woolley, Sarah C.; Rajan, Raghav; Joshua, Mati; Doupe, Allison J.
2014-01-01
Summary Context-dependence is a key feature of cortical-basal ganglia circuit activity, and in songbirds, the cortical outflow of a basal ganglia circuit specialized for song, LMAN, shows striking increases in trial-by-trial variability and bursting when birds sing alone rather than
to females. To reveal where this variability and its social regulation emerge, we recorded stepwise from cortico-striatal (HVC) neurons and their target spiny and pallidal neurons in Area X. We find that cortico-striatal and spiny neurons both show precise singing-related firing across both social settings. Pallidal neurons, in contrast, exhibit markedly increased trial-by-trial variation when birds sing alone, created by highly variable pauses in firing. This variability persists even when
recurrent inputs from LMAN are ablated. These data indicate that variability and its context-sensitivity emerge within the basal ganglia network, suggest a network mechanism for this emergence, and highlight variability generation and regulation as basal ganglia functions. PMID:24698276
A Drosophila heat shock response represents an exception rather than a rule amongst Diptera species.
PubMed
Zatsepina, O G; Przhiboro, A A; Yushenova, I A; Shilova, V; Zelentsova, E S; Shostak, N G;
Evgen'ev, M B; Garbuz, D G
We tested the hypothesis that sapling growth following a sudden increase in solar irradiance is related to recovery from photoinhibition and the balance between rate of production of new leaves and rate of abscision of old leaves. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll
fluorescence and relative growth rate (RGR) of stem basal area were measured following the sudden exposure of shade-grown (7% of full sunlight) saplings of four Shorea species to full sunlight. Sudden exposure to full sunlight resulted in an immediate and substantial reduction in dark-adapted quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), followed by a gradual recovery in all species. Near light-saturated net assimilation rate (A max) and area-based leaf
chlorophyll concentration ([Chl area]) also declined immediately after exposure. Eleven days after exposure, A max had recovered to pre-exposure values in all species, whereas [Chl area] had not recovered. Across species, RGR of stem basal area increased with increasing RGR of the number of leaves following exposure to full sunlight. The interspecific variations in RGR of stem basal area suggest that new leaf production is crucial for
determining the potential growth of saplings following gap formation.
Basal Forebrain Atrophy Contributes to Allocentric Navigation Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
PubMed Central
Kerbler, Georg M.; Nedelska, Zuzana; Fripp, Jurgen; Laczó, Jan; Vyhnalek, Martin; Lisý, Jiří; Hamlin, Adam S.; Rose, Stephen; Hort, Jakub; Coulson, Elizabeth J.
2015-01-01
The basal forebrain degenerates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and this process is believed to contribute to the cognitive decline observed in AD patients. Impairment in spatial navigation is an early
feature of the disease but whether basal forebrain dysfunction in AD is responsible for the impaired navigation skills of AD patients is not known. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between basal forebrain volume and performance in real space as well as computer-based navigation paradigms in an elderly cohort comprising cognitively normal controls, subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and those with AD. We also tested whether
basal forebrain volume could predict the participants’ ability to perform allocentric- vs. egocentric-based navigation tasks. The basal forebrain volume was calculated from 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and navigation skills were assessed using the human analog of the Morris water maze employing allocentric, egocentric, and mixed allo/egocentric real space as well as computerized tests. When considering the entire sample, we found that basal
forebrain volume correlated with spatial accuracy in allocentric (cued) and mixed allo/egocentric navigation tasks but not the egocentric (uncued) task, demonstrating an important role of the basal forebrain in mediating cue-based spatial navigation capacity. Regression analysis revealed that, although hippocampal volume reflected navigation performance across the entire sample, basal forebrain volume contributed to mixed allo/egocentric navigation performance in the AD
group, whereas hippocampal volume did not. This suggests that atrophy of the basal forebrain contributes to aspects of navigation impairment in AD that are independent of hippocampal atrophy. PMID:26441643
Lesions of
basal ganglia due to disulfiram neurotoxicity.
PubMed Central
Laplane, D; Attal, N; Sauron, B; de Billy, A; Dubois, B
1992-01-01
Three cases of disulfiram induced Parkinsonism and frontal lobe-like syndrome associated with bilateral lesions of the lentiform nuclei on CT scan are reported. Symptoms developed either after an acute high dose of disulfiram (one case) or
after several days to weeks of disulfiram treatment (two cases) and persisted over several years in two patients. These observations suggest that basal ganglia are one of the major targets of disulfiram neurotoxicity. The mechanisms of the lesions of basal ganglia may involve carbon disulfide toxicity. Images PMID:1431956
Two cases of seborrheic keratosis with basal clear cells.
Airway Basal Cells. The “Smoking Gun” of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
PubMed Central
2014-01-01
The earliest abnormality
in the lung associated with smoking is hyperplasia of airway basal cells, the stem/progenitor cells of the ciliated and secretory cells that are central to pulmonary host defense. Using cell biology and ’omics technologies to assess basal cells isolated from bronchoscopic brushings of nonsmokers, smokers, and smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), compelling evidence has been provided in support of the concept that airway basal cells are
central to the pathogenesis of smoking-associated lung diseases. When confronted by the chronic stress of smoking, airway basal cells become disorderly, regress to a more primitive state, behave as dictated by their inheritance, are susceptible to acquired changes in their genome, lose the capacity to regenerate the epithelium, are responsible for the major changes in the airway that characterize COPD, and, with persistent stress, can undergo malignant transformation. Together,
these observations led to the conclusion that accelerated loss of lung function in susceptible individuals begins with disordered airway basal cell biology (i.e., that airway basal cells are the “smoking gun” of COPD, a potential target for the development of therapies to prevent smoking-related lung disorders). PMID:25354273
Educational Content of Basal Reading Texts: Implications for Comprehension Instruction.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schmidt, William H.; And Others
To
explore the issue of educational content in basal readers, a study analyzed 34 basal reading textbooks, representing eight of the most commonly used series in American elementary education. Educational content was defined and categorized along three dimensions: subject matter, function, and ethos. The subject matter component covered theories,…
Basal cortisol's relation to testosterone changes may not be driven by social challenges.
PubMed
Welker, Keith M; Prasad, Smrithi; Srivastava, Sanjay; Mehta, Pranjal H
Discordance between morphological and molecular species boundaries among Caribbean species of the reef sponge
Callyspongia.
PubMed
DeBiasse, Melissa B; Hellberg, Michael E
2015-02-01
Sponges are among the most species-rich and ecologically important taxa on coral reefs, yet documenting their diversity is difficult due to the simplicity and plasticity of their morphological characters. Genetic attempts to identify species are hampered by the slow rate of
mitochondrial sequence evolution characteristic of sponges and some other basal metazoans. Here we determine species boundaries of the Caribbean coral reef sponge genus Callyspongia using a multilocus, model-based approach. Based on sequence data from one mitochondrial (COI), one ribosomal (28S), and two single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes, we found evolutionarily distinct lineages were not concordant with current species designations in Callyspongia.
While C. fallax,C. tenerrima, and C. plicifera were reciprocally monophyletic, four taxa with different morphologies (C. armigera,C. longissima,C. eschrichtii, and C. vaginalis) formed a monophyletic group and genetic distances among these taxa overlapped distances within them. A model-based method of species delimitation supported collapsing these four into a single evolutionary lineage. Variation in spicule size among these four taxa was
partitioned geographically, not by current species designations, indicating that in Callyspongia, these key taxonomic characters are poor indicators of genetic differentiation. Taken together, our results suggest a complex relationship between morphology and species boundaries in sponges.
Discordance between morphological and molecular species boundaries among Caribbean species of the reef sponge Callyspongia
PubMed
Central
DeBiasse, Melissa B; Hellberg, Michael E
2015-01-01
Sponges are among the most species-rich and ecologically important taxa on coral reefs, yet documenting their diversity is difficult due to the simplicity and plasticity of their morphological characters. Genetic attempts to identify species are hampered by the slow rate of mitochondrial sequence evolution characteristic of sponges and some other basal metazoans. Here we
determine species boundaries of the Caribbean coral reef sponge genus Callyspongia using a multilocus, model-based approach. Based on sequence data from one mitochondrial (COI), one ribosomal (28S), and two single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes, we found evolutionarily distinct lineages were not concordant with current species designations in Callyspongia. While C. fallax,C. tenerrima, and C. plicifera were reciprocally monophyletic, four taxa with
different morphologies (C. armigera,C. longissima,C. eschrichtii, and C. vaginalis) formed a monophyletic group and genetic distances among these taxa overlapped distances within them. A model-based method of species delimitation supported collapsing these four into a single evolutionary lineage. Variation in spicule size among these four taxa was partitioned geographically, not by current species designations, indicating that in Callyspongia, these
key taxonomic characters are poor indicators of genetic differentiation. Taken together, our results suggest a complex relationship between morphology and species boundaries in sponges. PMID:25691989
The Pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 Sustains Vitamin B6 Biosynthesis as a Function of Heat
Stress.
PubMed
Dell'Aglio, Elisa; Boycheva, Svetlana; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B
Luminal epithelial cells within the mammary gland can produce basal cells upon oncogenic stress.
PubMed
Hein, S M; Haricharan, S; Johnston, A N; Toneff, M J; Reddy, J P; Dong, J; Bu, W; Li, Y
2016-03-17
In the normal mammary gland, the basal epithelium is known to be bipotent and can generate either basal or luminal cells, whereas the luminal epithelium has not been demonstrated to contribute to the basal compartment in an intact and normally developed
mammary gland. It is not clear whether cellular heterogeneity within a breast tumor results from transformation of bipotent basal cells or from transformation and subsequent basal conversion of the more differentiated luminal cells. Here we used a retroviral vector to express an oncogene specifically in a small number of the mammary luminal epithelial cells and tested their potential to produce basal cells during tumorigenesis. This in-vivo lineage-tracing
work demonstrates that luminal cells are capable of producing basal cells on activation of either polyoma middle T antigen or ErbB2 signaling. These findings reveal the plasticity of the luminal compartment during tumorigenesis and provide an explanation for cellular heterogeneity within a cancer.
Luminal Epithelial Cells within the Mammary Gland Can Produce Basal Cells upon Oncogenic Stress
PubMed Central
Hein, Sarah M.;
Haricharan, Svasti; Johnston, Alyssa N.; Toneff, Michael J.; Reddy, Jay P.; Dong, Jie; Bu, Wen; Li, Yi
2015-01-01
In the normal mammary gland, the basal epithelium is known to be bi-potent and can generate either basal or luminal cells, whereas the luminal epithelium has not been demonstrated to contribute to the basal compartment in an intact and normally developed mammary gland. It is not clear whether cellular heterogeneity within a breast
tumor results from transformation of bi-potent basal cells or from transformation and subsequent basal conversion of the more differentiated luminal cells. Here, we used a retroviral vector to express an oncogene specifically in a small number of the mammary luminal epithelial cells and tested their potential to produce basal cells during tumorigenesis. This in vivo lineage tracing work demonstrates that luminal cells are capable of producing
basal cells upon activation of either Polyoma Middle T antigen (PyMT) or ErbB2 signaling. These findings reveal the plasticity of the luminal compartment during tumorigenesis and provide an explanation for cellular heterogeneity within a cancer. PMID:26096929
The phylogenetic relationships of basal archosauromorphs, with an emphasis on the systematics of proterosuchian archosauriforms
PubMed
Central
2016-01-01
The early evolution of archosauromorphs during the Permo-Triassic constitutes an excellent empirical case study to shed light on evolutionary radiations in deep time and the timing and processes of recovery of terrestrial faunas after a mass extinction. However, macroevolutionary studies of early archosauromorphs are currently limited by poor knowledge of their phylogenetic relationships. In particular, one of the main early archosauromorph groups that need an exhaustive
phylogenetic study is “Proterosuchia,” which as historically conceived includes members of both Proterosuchidae and Erythrosuchidae. A new data matrix composed of 96 separate taxa (several of them not included in a quantitative phylogenetic analysis before) and 600 osteological characters was assembled and analysed to generate a comprehensive higher-level phylogenetic hypothesis of basal archosauromorphs and shed light on the species-level interrelationships of taxa
historically identified as proterosuchian archosauriforms. The results of the analysis using maximum parsimony include a polyphyletic “Prolacertiformes” and “Protorosauria,” in which the Permian Aenigmastropheus and Protorosaurus are the most basal archosauromorphs. The enigmatic choristoderans are either found as the sister-taxa of all other lepidosauromorphs or archosauromorphs, but consistently placed within Sauria. Prolacertids, rhynchosaurs, allokotosaurians and tanystropheids
are the major successive sister clades of Archosauriformes. The Early Triassic Tasmaniosaurus is recovered as the sister-taxon of Archosauriformes. Proterosuchidae is unambiguosly restricted to five species that occur immediately after and before the Permo-Triassic boundary, thus implying that they are a short-lived “disaster” clade. Erythrosuchidae is composed of eight nominal species that occur during the Early and Middle Triassic. “Proterosuchia” is polyphyletic, in
which erythrosuchids are more closely related to Euparkeria and more
Parallel basal ganglia circuits for voluntary and automatic behaviour to reach rewards
PubMed Central
Hikosaka, Okihide
2015-01-01
The basal ganglia control body movements, value processing and decision-making. Many studies have shown that the inputs and outputs of each basal ganglia structure are topographically organized, which suggests that the basal ganglia consist of separate circuits that serve distinct functions. A notable example is the
circuits that originate from the rostral (head) and caudal (tail) regions of the caudate nucleus, both of which target the superior colliculus. These two caudate regions encode the reward values of visual objects differently: flexible (short-term) values by the caudate head and stable (long-term) values by the caudate tail. These value signals in the caudate guide the orienting of gaze differently: voluntary saccades by the caudate head circuit and automatic saccades by the caudate tail circuit.
Moreover, separate groups of dopamine neurons innervate the caudate head and tail and may selectively guide the flexible and stable learning/memory in the caudate regions. Studies focusing on manual handling of objects also suggest that rostrocaudally separated circuits in the basal ganglia control the action differently. These results suggest that the basal ganglia contain parallel circuits for two steps of goal-directed behaviour: finding valuable objects and
manipulating the valuable objects. These parallel circuits may underlie voluntary behaviour and automatic skills, enabling animals (including humans) to adapt to both volatile and stable environments. This understanding of the functions and mechanisms of the basal ganglia parallel circuits may inform the differential diagnosis and treatment of basal ganglia disorders. PMID:25981958
Basal hydraulic conditions of Ice Stream B
NASA Technical
Reports Server (NTRS)
Engelhardt, Hermann; Kamb, Barclay
1993-01-01
Fifteen boreholes have been drilled to the base of Ice Stream B in the vicinity of UpB Camp. The boreholes are spread over an area of about 500 x 1000 m. Several till cores were retrieved from the bottom of the 1000-m-deep holes. Laboratory tests using a simple shear box revealed a yield strength of basal till of 2 kPa. This agrees well with in-situ measurements using a shear vane. Since the
average basal shear stress of Ice Stream B with a surface slope of 0.1 degree is about 20 kPa, the ice stream cannot be supported by till that weak. Additional support for this conclusion comes from the basal water pressure that has been measured in all boreholes as soon as the hot water drill reached bottom. In several boreholes, the water pressure has been continuously monitored; in two of them, over several years. The water pressure varies but stays within 1 bar of
flotation where ice overburden pressure and water pressure are equal. The ratio of water and overburden pressure lies between 0.986 and 1.002. This is an extremely high value as compared to other fast-moving ice masses; e.g., Variegated Glacier in surge has a ratio of 0.8, and Columbia Glacier - a fast-moving tidewater glacier - has a ratio of 0.9. It implies that water flow under the glacier occurs in a thin film and not in conduits that would drain away water too rapidly. It also implies that
basal sliding must be very effective. Water flow under the glacier was measured in a salt-injection experiment where a salt pulse was released at the bottom of a borehole while 60 m down-glacier, the electrical resistance was measured between two other boreholes. A flow velocity of 7 mm/s was obtained.
Automated segmentation of multifocal basal ganglia T2*-weighted MRI hypointensities
PubMed Central
Glatz, Andreas; Bastin, Mark E.;
Kiker, Alexander J.; Deary, Ian J.; Wardlaw, Joanna M.; Valdés Hernández, Maria C.
2015-01-01
Multifocal basal ganglia T2*-weighted (T2*w) hypointensities, which are believed to arise mainly from vascular mineralization, were recently proposed as a novel MRI biomarker for small vessel disease and ageing. These T2*w hypointensities are typically segmented semi-automatically, which is time consuming, associated with a high intra-rater variability and low inter-rater
agreement. To address these limitations, we developed a fully automated, unsupervised segmentation method for basal ganglia T2*w hypointensities. This method requires conventional, co-registered T2*w and T1-weighted (T1w) volumes, as well as region-of-interest (ROI) masks for the basal ganglia and adjacent internal capsule generated automatically from T1w MRI. The basal ganglia T2*w hypointensities were then segmented with thresholds derived with an
adaptive outlier detection method from respective bivariate T2*w/T1w intensity distributions in each ROI. Artefacts were reduced by filtering connected components in the initial masks based on their standardised T2*w intensity variance. The segmentation method was validated using a custom-built phantom containing mineral deposit models, i.e. gel beads doped with 3 different contrast agents in 7 different concentrations, as well as with MRI data from 98 community-dwelling older subjects in their
seventies with a wide range of basal ganglia T2*w hypointensities. The method produced basal ganglia T2*w hypointensity masks that were in substantial volumetric and spatial agreement with those generated by an experienced rater (Jaccard index = 0.62 ± 0.40). These promising results suggest that this method may have use in automatic segmentation of basal ganglia T2*w hypointensities in studies of small vessel disease and ageing.
PMID:25451469
Computational modelling of locomotor muscle moment arms in the basal dinosaur Lesothosaurus diagnosticus: assessing convergence between birds and basal ornithischians.
PubMed
Bates, Karl T; Maidment, Susannah C R; Allen, Vivian; Barrett, Paul M
2012-03-01
Ornithischia (the 'bird-hipped' dinosaurs) encompasses bipedal, facultative quadrupedal and quadrupedal taxa. Primitive ornithischians were small bipeds, but large body size and obligate quadrupedality evolved independently in all major ornithischian lineages. Numerous pelvic and hind limb features
distinguish ornithischians from the majority of other non-avian dinosaurs. However, some of these features, notably a retroverted pubis and elongate iliac preacetabular process, appeared convergently in maniraptoran theropods, and were inherited by their avian descendants. During maniraptoran/avian evolution these pelvic modifications led to significant changes in the functions of associated muscles, involving alterations to the moment arms and the activation patterns of pelvic musculature.
However, the functions of these features in ornithischians and their influence on locomotion have not been tested and remain poorly understood. Here, we provide quantitative tests of bipedal ornithischian muscle function using computational modelling to estimate 3D hind limb moment arms for the most complete basal ornithischian, Lesothosaurus diagnosticus. This approach enables sensitivity analyses to be carried out to explore the effects of uncertainties in muscle reconstructions
of extinct taxa, and allows direct comparisons to be made with similarly constructed models of other bipedal dinosaurs. This analysis supports some previously proposed qualitative inferences of muscle function in basal ornithischians. However, more importantly, this work highlights ambiguities in the roles of certain muscles, notably those inserting close to the hip joint. Comparative analysis reveals that moment arm polarities and magnitudes in Lesothosaurus, basal
tetanuran theropods and the extant ostrich are generally similar. However, several key differences are identified, most significantly in comparisons between the moment arms of muscles associated with convergent osteological features in
Computational modelling of locomotor muscle moment arms in the basal dinosaur Lesothosaurus diagnosticus: assessing convergence between birds and basal ornithischians
PubMed Central
Bates, Karl T; Maidment, Susannah C R; Allen, Vivian; Barrett, Paul M
2012-01-01
Ornithischia (the ‘bird-hipped’ dinosaurs) encompasses bipedal, facultative quadrupedal and quadrupedal taxa. Primitive ornithischians were small bipeds, but large body size and obligate quadrupedality evolved independently in all major ornithischian lineages. Numerous pelvic and hind limb features
distinguish ornithischians from the majority of other non-avian dinosaurs. However, some of these features, notably a retroverted pubis and elongate iliac preacetabular process, appeared convergently in maniraptoran theropods, and were inherited by their avian descendants. During maniraptoran/avian evolution these pelvic modifications led to significant changes in the functions of associated muscles, involving alterations to the moment arms and the activation patterns of pelvic musculature.
However, the functions of these features in ornithischians and their influence on locomotion have not been tested and remain poorly understood. Here, we provide quantitative tests of bipedal ornithischian muscle function using computational modelling to estimate 3D hind limb moment arms for the most complete basal ornithischian, Lesothosaurus diagnosticus. This approach enables sensitivity analyses to be carried out to explore the effects of uncertainties in muscle reconstructions
of extinct taxa, and allows direct comparisons to be made with similarly constructed models of other bipedal dinosaurs. This analysis supports some previously proposed qualitative inferences of muscle function in basal ornithischians. However, more importantly, this work highlights ambiguities in the roles of certain muscles, notably those inserting close to the hip joint. Comparative analysis reveals that moment arm polarities and magnitudes in Lesothosaurus, basal
tetanuran theropods and the extant ostrich are generally similar. However, several key differences are identified, most significantly in comparisons between the moment arms of muscles associated with convergent osteological features in
Molecular Characterization of the Complete Genome of Three
Basal-BR Isolates of Turnip mosaic virus Infecting Raphanus sativus in China.
Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) infects crops of plant species in the family Brassicaceae worldwide. TuMV isolates were clustered to five lineages
corresponding to basal-B, basal-BR, Asian-BR, world-B and OMs. Here, we determined the complete genome sequences of three TuMV basal-BR isolates infecting radish from Shandong and Jilin Provinces in China. Their genomes were all composed of 9833 nucleotides, excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail. They contained two open reading frames (ORFs), with the large one encoding a polyprotein of 3164 amino acids and the small overlapping ORF encoding a PIPO protein
of 61 amino acids, which contained the typically conserved motifs found in members of the genus Potyvirus. In pairwise comparison with 30 other TuMV genome sequences, these three isolates shared their highest identities with isolates from Eurasian countries (Germany, Italy, Turkey and China). Recombination analysis showed that the three isolates in this study had no "clear" recombination. The analyses of conserved amino acids changed between groups showed that the codons in the TuMV out group
(OGp) and OMs group were the same at three codon sites (852, 1006, 1548), and the other TuMV groups (basal-B, basal-BR, Asian-BR, world-B) were different. This pattern suggests that the codon in the OMs progenitor did not change but that in the other TuMV groups the progenitor sequence did change at divergence. Genetic diversity analyses indicate that the PIPO gene was under the highest selection pressure and the selection pressure on P3N-PIPO and P3 was almost the
same. It suggests that most of the selection pressure on P3 was probably imposed through P3N-PIPO.
Basal metabolism of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) and the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii)
USGS Publications Warehouse
Harrington, L.A.; Biggins, D.E.; Alldredge, A.W.
2003-01-01
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and Siberian polecats (M. eversmannii) are medium-sized (about 1 kg) mustelids with similar ecological and morphological characteristics. We measured basal metabolic rates (BMR) for both species. In contrast with the commonly stated belief that
mustelids have relatively high mass-specific BMR, neither the BMR of ferrets nor that of polecats in winter was greater than standard allometric predictions for all mammals. As suggested by previous authors, we believe that our relatively lower measurements for BMR are due to our efforts to minimize stress during the experimental procedure. These results support the contention that BMR in mustelids is no different from what is expected of mammals of this body mass. Seasonal differences were
found in polecat BMR (higher in summer) but not in ferret BMR. Reasons for this interspecific difference may relate to differences in natural histories of these species.
Task-phase-specific dynamics of basal
forebrain neuronal ensembles
PubMed Central
Tingley, David; Alexander, Andrew S.; Kolbu, Sean; de Sa, Virginia R.; Chiba, Andrea A.; Nitz, Douglas A.
2014-01-01
Cortically projecting basal forebrain neurons play a critical role in learning and attention, and their degeneration accompanies age-related impairments in cognition. Despite the impressive anatomical and
cell-type complexity of this system, currently available data suggest that basal forebrain neurons lack complexity in their response fields, with activity primarily reflecting only macro-level brain states such as sleep and wake, onset of relevant stimuli and/or reward obtainment. The current study examined the spiking activity of basal forebrain neuron populations across multiple phases of a selective attention task, addressing, in particular, the issue of complexity
in ensemble firing patterns across time. Clustering techniques applied to the full population revealed a large number of distinct categories of task-phase-specific activity patterns. Unique population firing-rate vectors defined each task phase and most categories of task-phase-specific firing had counterparts with opposing firing patterns. An analogous set of task-phase-specific firing patterns was also observed in a population of posterior parietal cortex neurons. Thus, consistent with the
known anatomical complexity, basal forebrain population dynamics are capable of differentially modulating their cortical targets according to the unique sets of environmental stimuli, motor requirements, and cognitive processes associated with different task phases. PMID:25309352
A
new species of Cerithium (Gastropoda: Cerithiidae) from the South China Sea
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sun, Qimeng; Zhang, Suping
2014-09-01
Specimens of a new species of Cerithiidae, Cerithium mangrovum n. sp., were collected during two surveys along the coasts of Hainan and Guangdong Province, China. Usually associated with potamidid snails, this
species often occurs in large populations between the mid-high tidal zones in a range of habitats, including mangroves, grass beds, silt, mud, and coral reefs. C. mangrovum n. sp. has a slender and tapering shell and the straight-sided whorl bears three aligned beaded spiral cords. The thick outer lip has a wide posterior sinus. It morphologically resembles C. coralium Kiener, 1841. The shell of C. coralium is usually larger and wider and the spiral cords are not as beaded as in C.
mangrovum n. sp. Its radula has a rachidian tooth with a shallow, wide, median basal projection while the rachidian tooth of C. mangrovum n. sp. has a moderately long, median basal projection.
Ecosystem and restoration consequences of invasive woody species
removal in Hawaiian lowland wet forest
Treesearch
R. Ostertag; S. Cordell; J. Michaud; T.C. Cole; J.R. Schulten; K.M. Publico; J.H. Enoka
2009-01-01
A removal experiment was used to examine the restoration potential of a lowland wet forest in Hawaii, a remnant forest type that has been heavily invaded by non-native species and in which there is very little native species
regeneration. All non-native woody and herbaceous biomass (approximately 45% of basal area) was removed in four 100-m² removal plots;...
Basal Ganglia Circuits as Targets for Neuromodulation in Parkinson Disease.
PubMed
DeLong, Mahlon R; Wichmann, Thomas
2015-11-01
The revival of stereotactic surgery for Parkinson disease (PD) in the 1990s, with pallidotomy and then with high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS), has led to a renaissance in functional surgery for movement and other neuropsychiatric disorders. To examine the scientific foundations and rationale for the use of ablation and DBS for
treatment of neurologic and psychiatric diseases, using PD as the primary example. A summary of the large body of relevant literature is presented on anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and functional surgery for PD and other basal ganglia disorders. The signs and symptoms of movement disorders appear to result largely from signature abnormalities in one of several parallel and largely segregated basal ganglia thalamocortical circuits (ie, the motor circuit). The
available evidence suggests that the varied movement disorders resulting from dysfunction of this circuit result from propagated disruption of downstream network activity in the thalamus, cortex, and brainstem. Ablation and DBS act to free downstream networks to function more normally. The basal ganglia thalamocortical circuit may play a key role in the expression of disordered movement, and the basal ganglia-brainstem projections may play roles in akinesia and
disturbances of gait. Efforts are under way to target circuit dysfunction in brain areas outside of the traditionally implicated basal ganglia thalamocortical system, in particular, the pedunculopontine nucleus, to address gait disorders that respond poorly to levodopa and conventional DBS targets. Deep brain stimulation is now the treatment of choice for many patients with advanced PD and other movement disorders. The success of DBS and other forms of neuromodulation for
neuropsychiatric disorders is the result of the ability to modulate circuit activity in discrete functional domains within the basal ganglia circuitry with highly focused interventions, which spare uninvolved areas that are often disrupted with
Basal paravian functional anatomy illuminated by high-detail body outline
PubMed Central
Wang, Xiaoli; Pittman, Michael; Zheng,
Xiaoting; Kaye, Thomas G.; Falk, Amanda R.; Hartman, Scott A.; Xu, Xing
2017-01-01
Body shape is a fundamental expression of organismal biology, but its quantitative reconstruction in fossil vertebrates is rare. Due to the absence of fossilized soft tissue evidence, the functional consequences of basal paravian body shape and its implications for the origins of avians and flight are not yet fully understood. Here we reconstruct the quantitative body outline of a fossil
paravian Anchiornis based on high-definition images of soft tissues revealed by laser-stimulated fluorescence. This body outline confirms patagia-bearing arms, drumstick-shaped legs and a slender tail, features that were probably widespread among paravians. Finely preserved details also reveal similarities in propatagial and footpad form between basal paravians and modern birds, extending their record to the Late Jurassic. The body outline and soft tissue details suggest significant
functional decoupling between the legs and tail in at least some basal paravians. The number of seemingly modern propatagial traits hint that feathering was a significant factor in how basal paravians utilized arm, leg and tail function for aerodynamic benefit. PMID:28248287
Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in patients with basal cell carcinoma.
The aim of this study is to measure and compare the dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis of patients with basal cell carcinoma and healthy subjects with a newly developed and original method. Thirty four patients attending our outpatient clinic and clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as nodular basal cell carcinoma, and age and gender matched 30 healthy individuals have been involved in the study. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis tests have been measured with
a novel automatic spectrophotometric method developed and the results have been compared statistically. Serum native thiol and disulphide levels in the patient and control group show a considerable variance statistically (p = 0.028, 0.039, respectively). Total thiol levels do not reveal a considerable variation (p = 0.094). Disulphide/native thiol ratios and native thiol/total thiol ratios also show a considerable variance statistically (p = 0.012, 0.013, 0.010, respectively). Thiol disulphide
homeostasis in patients with basal cell carcinoma alters in the way that disulphide gets lower and thiols get higher. Thiol/disulphide level is likely to have a role in basal cell carcinoma pathogenesis.
Teachers Reflect Standards in
Basals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gewertz, Catherine
2012-01-01
Dozens of teachers and literacy specialists from across the country hunkered down in Baltimore at round tables, with laptops, pens, and paper, intent on rewriting the collections that wield tremendous influence over the way millions of U.S. children learn literacy skills: the big-name
basal readers. Hailing from 18 school districts in 11 states,…
A synthesis of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet
PubMed Central
MacGregor, Joseph A.; Fahnestock, Mark A.; Catania, Ginny A.; Aschwanden, Andy; Clow, Gary D.; Colgan, William T.; Gogineni, S. Prasad; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nowicki, Sophie M. J.; Paden, John D.; Price, Stephen F.; Seroussi, Hélène
2017-01-01
The basal thermal state of an ice sheet (frozen or thawed) is an important control upon its evolution, dynamics and response to
external forcings. However, this state can only be observed directly within sparse boreholes or inferred conclusively from the presence of subglacial lakes. Here we synthesize spatially extensive inferences of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet to better constrain this state. Existing inferences include outputs from the eight thermomechanical ice-flow models included in the SeaRISE effort. New remote-sensing inferences of the basal thermal state are
derived from Holocene radiostratigraphy, modern surface velocity and MODIS imagery. Both thermomechanical modeling and remote inferences generally agree that the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream and large portions of the southwestern ice-drainage systems are thawed at the bed, whereas the bed beneath the central ice divides, particularly their west-facing slopes, is frozen. Elsewhere, there is poor agreement regarding the basal thermal state. Both models and remote inferences rarely
represent the borehole-observed basal thermal state accurately near NorthGRIP and DYE-3. This synthesis identifies a large portion of the Greenland Ice Sheet (about one third by area) where additional observations would most improve knowledge of its overall basal thermal state. PMID:28163988
A synthesis of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
PubMed
MacGregor, Joseph A; Fahnestock, Mark A; Catania, Ginny A; Aschwanden, Andy; Clow, Gary D; Colgan, William T; Gogineni, S Prasad;
Morlighem, Mathieu; Nowicki, Sophie M J; Paden, John D; Price, Stephen F; Seroussi, Hélène
2016-08-10
The basal thermal state of an ice sheet (frozen or thawed) is an important control upon its evolution, dynamics and response to external forcings. However, this state can only be observed directly within sparse boreholes or inferred conclusively from the presence of subglacial lakes. Here we synthesize spatially extensive inferences of the basal thermal
state of the Greenland Ice Sheet to better constrain this state. Existing inferences include outputs from the eight thermomechanical ice-flow models included in the SeaRISE effort. New remote-sensing inferences of the basal thermal state are derived from Holocene radiostratigraphy, modern surface velocity and MODIS imagery. Both thermomechanical modeling and remote inferences generally agree that the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream and large portions of the southwestern ice-drainage
systems are thawed at the bed, whereas the bed beneath the central ice divides, particularly their west-facing slopes, is frozen. Elsewhere, there is poor agreement regarding the basal thermal state. Both models and remote inferences rarely represent the borehole-observed basal thermal state accurately near NorthGRIP and DYE-3. This synthesis identifies a large portion of the Greenland Ice Sheet (about one third by area) where additional observations would most improve
knowledge of its overall basal thermal state.
A synthesis of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet
USGS Publications Warehouse
MacGregor, Joseph A; Fahnestock, Mark
A; Catania, Ginny A; Aschwanden, Andy; Clow, Gary D.; Colgan, William T.; Gogineni, Prasad S.; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nowicki, Sophie M .J.; Paden, John D; Price, Stephen F.; Seroussi, Helene
2016-01-01
The basal thermal state of an ice sheet (frozen or thawed) is an important control upon its evolution, dynamics and response to external forcings. However, this state can only be observed directly within sparse boreholes or inferred conclusively from the presence of
subglacial lakes. Here we synthesize spatially extensive inferences of the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet to better constrain this state. Existing inferences include outputs from the eight thermomechanical ice-flow models included in the SeaRISE effort. New remote-sensing inferences of the basal thermal state are derived from Holocene radiostratigraphy, modern surface velocity and MODIS imagery. Both thermomechanical modeling and remote inferences
generally agree that the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream and large portions of the southwestern ice-drainage systems are thawed at the bed, whereas the bed beneath the central ice divides, particularly their west-facing slopes, is frozen. Elsewhere, there is poor agreement regarding the basal thermal state. Both models and remote inferences rarely represent the borehole-observed basal thermal state accurately near NorthGRIP and DYE-3. This synthesis identifies a large
portion of the Greenland Ice Sheet (about one third by area) where additional observations would most improve knowledge of its overall basal thermal state.
Molecular Cloning, Functional Characterization, and Evolutionary
Analysis of Vitamin D Receptors Isolated from Basal Vertebrates
PubMed Central
Kollitz, Erin M.; Zhang, Guozhu; Hawkins, Mary Beth; Whitfield, G. Kerr; Reif, David M.; Kullman, Seth W.
2015-01-01
The vertebrate genome is a result of two rapid and successive rounds of whole genome duplication, referred to as 1R and 2R. Furthermore, teleost fish have undergone a third
whole genome duplication (3R) specific to their lineage, resulting in the retention of multiple gene paralogs. The more recent 3R event in teleosts provides a unique opportunity to gain insight into how genes evolve through specific evolutionary processes. In this study we compare molecular activities of vitamin D receptors (VDR) from basalspecies that diverged at key points in vertebrate evolution in order to infer derived and ancestral VDR functions of teleost
paralogs. Species include the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a 1R jawless fish; the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea), a cartilaginous fish that diverged after the 2R event; and the Senegal bichir (Polypterus senegalus), a primitive 2R ray-finned fish. Saturation binding assays and gel mobility shift assays demonstrate high affinity ligand binding and classic DNA binding characteristics of VDR has been conserved across vertebrate evolution. Concentration response curves in
transient transfection assays reveal EC50 values in the low nanomolar range, however maximum transactivational efficacy varies significantly between receptor orthologs. Protein-protein interactions were investigated using co-transfection, mammalian 2-hybrid assays, and mutations of coregulator activation domains. We then combined these results with our previous study of VDR paralogs from 3R teleosts into a bioinformatics analysis. Our results suggest that 1, 25D3 acts as a partial agonist in
basalspecies. Furthermore, our bioinformatics analysis suggests that functional differences between VDR orthologs and paralogs are influenced by differential protein interactions with essential coregulator proteins. We speculate that we may be observing a change in the pharmacodynamics relationship between VDR and 1, 25D3 throughout vertebrate evolution that may have been
A whole stand basal area projection model for Appalachian hardwoods
Treesearch
John R. Brooks; Lichun Jiang; Matthew Perkowski; Benktesh Sharma
2008-01-01
Two whole-stand basal area projection
models were developed for Appalachian hardwood stands. The proposed equations are an algebraic difference projection form based on existing basal area and the change in age, trees per acre, and/or dominant height. Average equation error was less than 10 square feet per acre and residuals exhibited no irregular trends.
Evaluation of basal sex hormone levels for activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
This study aimed to identify the predictive value of basal sex hormone levels for activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in girls. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation tests were performed and evaluated in a total of 1750 girls with development of secondary sex characteristics. Correlation analyses were conducted between basal sex hormones and peak luteinizing hormone (LH) levels ≥5 IU/L during the
GnRH stimulation test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for basal levels of LH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH/FSH, and estradiol (E2) before the GnRH stimulation test were plotted. The area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were measured for each curve. The maximum AUC value was observed for basal LH levels (0.77, 95% CI: 0.74-0.79), followed by basal FSH levels (0.73, 95% CI: 0.70-0.75), the basal
LH/FSH ratio (0.68, 95% CI: 0.65-0.71), and basal E2 levels (0.61, 95% CI: 0.59-0.64). The appropriate cutoff value of basal LH levels associated with a positive response of the GnRH stimulation test was 0.35 IU/L, with a sensitivity of 63.96% and specificity of 76.3% from the ROC curves when Youden's index showed the maximum value. When 100% of patients had peak LH levels ≥5 IU/L, basal LH values were >2.72 IU/L, but the specificity was only 5.45%.
Increased basal LH levels are a significant predictor of a positive response during the GnRH stimulation test for assessing activation of the HPG axis in most girls with early pubertal signs.
Endothelial MMP14 is required
for endothelial-dependent growth support of human airway basal cells
PubMed Central
Ding, Bi-Sen; Gomi, Kazunori; Rafii, Shahin; Crystal, Ronald G.; Walters, Matthew S.
2015-01-01
ABSTRACT Human airway basal cells are the stem (or progenitor) population of the airway epithelium, and play a central role in anchoring the epithelium to the basement
membrane. The anatomic position of basal cells allows for potential paracrine signaling between them and the underlying non-epithelial stromal cells. In support of this, we have previously demonstrated that endothelial cells support growth of basal cells during co-culture through vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA)-mediated signaling. Building on these findings, we found, by RNA sequencing analysis, that basal cells expressed multiple fibroblast
growth factor (FGF) ligands (FGF2, FGF5, FGF11 and FGF13) and that only FGF2 and FGF5 were capable of functioning in a paracrine manner to activate classical FGF receptor (FGFR) signaling. Antibody-mediated blocking of FGFR1 during basal-cell–endothelial-cell co-culture significantly reduced the endothelial-cell-dependent basal cell growth. Stimulation of endothelial cells with basal-cell-derived growth factors induced endothelial cell expression of matrix
metallopeptidase 14 (MMP14), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of endothelial cell MMP14 significantly reduced the endothelial-cell-dependent growth of basal cells. Overall, these data characterize a new growth-factor-mediated reciprocal ‘crosstalk’ between human airway basal cells and endothelial cells that regulates proliferation of basal cells. PMID:26116571
Systems Biology Approach Reveals a Calcium-Dependent Mechanism for Basal Toxicity in Daphnia magna.
PubMed
Antczak, Philipp; White, Thomas A; Giri, Anirudha; Michelangeli, Francesco; Viant, Mark R;
Cronin, Mark T D; Vulpe, Chris; Falciani, Francesco
2015-09-15
The expanding diversity and ever increasing amounts of man-made chemicals discharged to the environment pose largely unknown hazards to ecosystem and human health. The concept of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) emerged as a comprehensive framework for risk assessment. However, the limited mechanistic information available for most chemicals and a lack of biological pathway annotation in many species represent
significant challenges to effective implementation of this approach. Here, a systems level, multistep modeling strategy demonstrates how to integrate information on chemical structure with mechanistic insight from genomic studies, and phenotypic effects to define a putative adverse outcome pathway. Results indicated that transcriptional changes indicative of intracellular calcium mobilization were significantly overrepresented in Daphnia magna (DM) exposed to sublethal doses of presumed narcotic
chemicals with log Kow ≥ 1.8. Treatment of DM with a calcium ATPase pump inhibitor substantially recapitulated the common transcriptional changes. We hypothesize that calcium mobilization is a potential key molecular initiating event in DM basal (narcosis) toxicity. Heart beat rate analysis and metabolome analysis indicated sublethal effects consistent with perturbations of calcium preceding overt acute toxicity. Together, the results indicate that altered calcium homeostasis may be
a key early event in basal toxicity or narcosis induced by lipophilic compounds.
Molecular dynamics simulations of uranyl
adsorption and structure on the basal surface of muscovite
DOE PAGES
Teich-McGoldrick, Stephanie L.; Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Cygan, Randall T.
2014-02-05
Anthropogenic activities have led to an increased concentration of uranium on the Earth’s surface and potentially in the subsurface with the development of nuclear waste repositories. Uranium is soluble in groundwater, and its mobility is
strongly affected by the presence of clay minerals in soils and in subsurface sediments. We use molecular dynamics simulations to probe the adsorption of aqueous uranyl (UO 2 2+) ions onto the basal surface of muscovite, a suitable proxy for typically ultrafine-grained clay phases. Model systems include the competitive adsorption between potassium counterions and aqueous ions (0.1 M and 1.0 M UO 2Cl 2 ,more » 0.1 M NaCl). We find that for systems with potassium and uranyl ions
present, potassium ions dominate the adsorption phenomenon. Potassium ions adsorb entirely as inner-sphere complexes associated with the ditrigonal cavity of the basal surface. Uranyl ions adsorb in two configurations when it is the only ion species present, and in a single configuration in the presence of potassium. Finally, the majority of adsorbed uranyl ions are tilted less than 45° relative to the muscovite surface, and are associated with the Si 4Al 2 rings near
aluminum substitution sites.« less
Giant morphea-form basal cell carcinoma of the umbilicus: Successful debulking with vismodegib.
Basal cell carcinoma of the umbilicus is very rare. The nodular subtype is the main representative. Giant basal cell carcinomas represent around 1% of all basal cell carcinomas. The hedgehog pathway inhibitor vismodegib is indicated for advanced basal cell carcinoma and CD56-negative immunostaining seems indicative for successful treatment. A
54-year-old man presented a 10 cm × 14 cm large and 4.5 cm deep morphea-form basal cell carcinoma with faint immunohistochemical CD56 expression arising from the umbilicus. A sequential treatment was initiated with debulking using vismodegib 150 mg per day for 4 months, followed by reconstructive surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a giant basal cell carcinoma of the morphea-form type of the umbilicus. The sequential treatment plan reduces
the duration of vismodegib inherent adverse effects and significantly reduces the tumor mass prior to surgery. Besides increasing adherence to vismodegib treatment, this approach facilitates the surgical technique and improves cosmetic outcome.
Basal Cell Carcinoma in Cases with or without
Xeroderma Pigmentosum.
PubMed
Ghartimagar, Dilasma; Ghosh, Arnab; Shrestha, Sushil Ram; Shrestha, Sachet; Thapa, Sushma; Narasimhan, Raghavan; Talwar, O P
2017-01-01
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer in humans and comprises the vast majority of skin cancers. It predominantly affects fair-skinned individuals, and its incidence is rapidly
increasing. The objective of the study is to identify the epidemiology, its topography and different histological subtypes of basal cell carcinoma in patients with or without Xeroderma Pigmentosum. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara from Jan 2009 to Dec 2016. Ethical approval was taken from MEMG/IRC/GA. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma irrespective of their age and sex.
This study showed 77 individuals with 91 biopsies of BCC including 5 cases of Xeroderma Pigmentosum. The predominant histological subtype was nodular with 41 (53.94%) cases, followed by the 14 (18.42%) cases of pigmented and 10 (13.15%) cases baso-squamous subtype. The most frequent sites of involvement were the head and neck, with predominance in the nasal and orbital region. The mean age was 57.68 years but the basal cell carcinoma in cases of Xeroderma Pigmentosum was seen more
in younger age groups. There were 43 (55.84 %) male patients and 34 (44.16 %) female patients with a male to female ratio of 1.26:1. Nodular and pigmented varieties were the most frequent subtypes with nose being the commonest site of involvement. Basal cell carcinomas in cases of Xeroderma Pigmentosum were noted in younger age group with multiple lesions.
Remote Characterization of Ice Shelf Surface and Basal Processes: Examples from East Antarctica
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Greenbaum, J. S.; Blankenship, D. D.; Grima, C.; Schroeder, D. M.;
Soderlund, K. M.; Young, D. A.; Kempf, S. D.; Siegert, M. J.; Roberts, J. L.; Warner, R. C.; van Ommen, T. D.
2017-12-01
The ability to remotely characterize surface and basal processes of ice shelves has important implications for conducting systematic, repeatable, and safe evaluations of their stability in the context of atmospheric and oceanic forcing. Additionally, techniques developed for terrestrial ice shelves can be adapted to orbital radar sounding datasets
planned for forthcoming investigations of icy moons. This has been made possible through recent advances in radar signal processing that enable these data to be used to test hypotheses derived from conceptual and numerical models of ice shelf- and ice shell-ocean interactions. Here, we present several examples of radar sounding-derived characterizations of surface and basal processes underway on ice shelves in East Antarctica. These include percolation of near-surface meltwater in
warm austral summers, brine infiltration along ice shelf calving fronts, basal melt rate and distribution, and basal freeze distribution. On Europa, near-surface brines and their migration may impact local geological variability, while basal processes likely control the distribution of melt and freeze. Terrestrially, we emphasize radar-sounding records of the Totten Glacier Ice Shelf which hosts each of these processes as well as the highest known density
of basal melt channels of any terrestrial ice shelf. Further, with a maximum floating ice thickness of over 2.5 km, the pressure at Totten's basal interface may be similar to that at Europa's ice-ocean interface; therefore, evaluating surface and basal processes of Totten Glacier and other ice shelves could serve as analogs for understanding melting processes of Europa's ice shell.
Crown area equations for 13 species of trees and shrubs in northern California and southwestern Oregon
Treesearch
Fabian C.C. Uzoh; Martin W. Ritchie
1996-01-01
The equations presented predict crown area for
13 species of trees and shrubs which may be found growing in competition with commercial conifers during early stages of stand development. The equations express crown area as a function of basal area and height. Parameters were estimated for each species individually using weighted nonlinear least square regression.
Basal Cell Carcinoma with Myoepithelial Differentiation: Case Report and Literature Review.
PubMed
Cohen, Philip R
2018-01-17
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.
Myoepithelial cells are specialized epithelial cells. Basal cell carcinoma with myoepithelial differentiation is a rare tumor. A 71-year-old man with a basal cell carcinoma with myoepithelial differentiation that presented as an asymptomatic red papule of two months duration on his forehead is described. Including the reported patient, this variant of basal cell carcinoma has been described in 16 patients: 11 men and five women. The patients ranged in age
at diagnosis from 43 years to 83 years; the median age at diagnosis was 66 years. All of the tumors were located on the face-most were papules or nodules of less than 10 x 10 mm. Their pathology demonstrated two components: one was that of a typical basal cell carcinoma and the other was myoepithelioma-like in which the tumor cells were plasmacytoid or signet ring in appearance and contained abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm or hyaline inclusions or both. The myoepithelial tumor cells
had variable immunohistochemical expression that included not only cytokeratin but also actin, glial fibrillary acid protein, S100, and vimentin. The most common clinical impression, prior to biopsy, was a basal cell carcinoma. The pathologic differential diagnosis included cutaneous mixed sweat gland tumor of the skin, myoepithelioma, myoepithelial carcinoma, and tumors that contain a prominent signet ring cell component (such as metastatic gastrointestinal and breast carcinoma,
melanoma, plasmacytoid squamous cell carcinoma, and T-cell lymphoma). Mohs micrographic surgical excision, with complete removal of the tumor, was recommended for treatment of the carcinoma.
Basal Cell Carcinoma with
Myoepithelial Differentiation: Case Report and Literature Review
PubMed Central
2018-01-01
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer. Myoepithelial cells are specialized epithelial cells. Basal cell carcinoma with myoepithelial differentiation is a rare tumor. A 71-year-old man with a basal cell carcinoma with myoepithelial
differentiation that presented as an asymptomatic red papule of two months duration on his forehead is described. Including the reported patient, this variant of basal cell carcinoma has been described in 16 patients: 11 men and five women. The patients ranged in age at diagnosis from 43 years to 83 years; the median age at diagnosis was 66 years. All of the tumors were located on the face—most were papules or nodules of less than 10 x 10 mm. Their pathology demonstrated two
components: one was that of a typical basal cell carcinoma and the other was myoepithelioma-like in which the tumor cells were plasmacytoid or signet ring in appearance and contained abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm or hyaline inclusions or both. The myoepithelial tumor cells had variable immunohistochemical expression that included not only cytokeratin but also actin, glial fibrillary acid protein, S100, and vimentin. The most common clinical impression, prior to biopsy, was a
basal cell carcinoma. The pathologic differential diagnosis included cutaneous mixed sweat gland tumor of the skin, myoepithelioma, myoepithelial carcinoma, and tumors that contain a prominent signet ring cell component (such as metastatic gastrointestinal and breast carcinoma, melanoma, plasmacytoid squamous cell carcinoma, and T-cell lymphoma). Mohs micrographic surgical excision, with complete removal of the tumor, was recommended for treatment of the carcinoma. PMID:29560294
Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Patient and Physician's Experience.
PubMed
Cohen, Barbara J; Cohen, Eliahou S; Cohen, Philip R
2018-06-02
In this article, the first coauthor, a patient
with a basal cell carcinoma on her upper lip, discusses her experience with Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of the skin cancer. The second coauthor, who is the patient's physician (a dermatologist who shares her last name but is not a relative), diagnosed her skin cancer and referred her for Mohs surgery. The third coauthor, who is the patient's son and not only a dermatologist, but also a dermatopathologist and a Mohs surgeon (and also shares her last name), summarizes
the presentation and treatment of the basal cell carcinoma.
Comparative Genomics of NAC Transcriptional Factors in Angiosperms: Implications for the Adaptation and Diversification of Flowering Plants
PubMed Central
Pereira-Santana, Alejandro; Alcaraz, Luis David; Castaño, Enrique; Sanchez-Calderon, Lenin; Sanchez-Teyer, Felipe; Rodriguez-Zapata, Luis
2015-01-01
NAC proteins constitute one of the largest groups of plant-specific transcription factors and are known to play essential roles in various developmental processes. They are also important in plant responses to stresses such as drought,
soil salinity, cold, and heat, which adversely affect growth. The current knowledge regarding the distribution of NAC proteins in plant lineages comes from relatively small samplings from the available data. In the present study, we broadened the number of plant species containing the NAC family origin and evolution to shed new light on the evolutionary history of this family in angiosperms. A comparative genome analysis was performed on 24 land plant species, and NAC
ortholog groups were identified by means of bidirectional BLAST hits. Large NAC gene families are found in those species that have experienced more whole-genome duplication events, pointing to an expansion of the NAC family with divergent functions in flowering plants. A total of 3,187 NAC transcription factors that clustered into six major groups were used in the phylogenetic analysis. Many orthologous groups were found in the monocot and eudicot lineages, but only
five orthologous groups were found between P. patens and each representative taxa of flowering plants. These groups were called basal orthologous groups and likely expanded into more recent taxa to cope with their environmental needs. This analysis on the angiosperm NAC family represents an effort to grasp the evolutionary and functional diversity within this gene family while providing a basis for further functional research on vascular plant gene families. PMID:26569117
Comparative Genomics of NAC Transcriptional Factors in Angiosperms: Implications for the Adaptation and Diversification of Flowering Plants.
PubMed
Pereira-Santana, Alejandro; Alcaraz, Luis David; Castaño,
Enrique; Sanchez-Calderon, Lenin; Sanchez-Teyer, Felipe; Rodriguez-Zapata, Luis
2015-01-01
NAC proteins constitute one of the largest groups of plant-specific transcription factors and are known to play essential roles in various developmental processes. They are also important in plant responses to stresses such as drought, soil salinity, cold, and heat, which adversely affect growth. The current knowledge regarding the distribution of NAC proteins in plant lineages comes from
relatively small samplings from the available data. In the present study, we broadened the number of plant species containing the NAC family origin and evolution to shed new light on the evolutionary history of this family in angiosperms. A comparative genome analysis was performed on 24 land plant species, and NAC ortholog groups were identified by means of bidirectional BLAST hits. Large NAC gene families are found in those species that have experienced
more whole-genome duplication events, pointing to an expansion of the NAC family with divergent functions in flowering plants. A total of 3,187 NAC transcription factors that clustered into six major groups were used in the phylogenetic analysis. Many orthologous groups were found in the monocot and eudicot lineages, but only five orthologous groups were found between P. patens and each representative taxa of flowering plants. These groups were called basal orthologous
groups and likely expanded into more recent taxa to cope with their environmental needs. This analysis on the angiosperm NAC family represents an effort to grasp the evolutionary and functional diversity within this gene family while providing a basis for further functional research on vascular plant gene families.
Sas-4 proteins are required during basal body duplication in Paramecium
Centrioles and basal bodies are structurally related organelles composed of nine microtubule (MT) triplets. Studies performed in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos have shown that centriole duplication takes place in sequential way, in which different proteins are recruited in a specific order to assemble a procentriole. ZYG-1 initiates centriole duplication by triggering the recruitment of a complex of SAS-5 and
SAS-6, which then recruits the final player, SAS-4, to allow the incorporation of MT singlets. It is thought that a similar mechanism (that also involves additional proteins) is present in other animal cells, but it remains to be investigated whether the same players and their ascribed functions are conserved during basal body duplication in cells that exclusively contain basal bodies. To investigate this question, we have used the multiciliated protist Paramecium
tetraurelia. Here we show that in the absence of PtSas4, two types of defects in basal body duplication can be identified. In the majority of cases, the germinative disk and cartwheel, the first structures assembled during duplication, are not detected. In addition, if daughter basal bodies were formed, they invariably had defects in MT recruitment. Our results suggest that PtSas4 has a broader function than its animal orthologues. PMID:21289083
BMP-driven NRF2 activation in esophageal basal cell differentiation and eosinophilic esophagitis
PubMed Central
Jiang, Ming; Ku,
Wei-Yao; Zhou, Zhongren; Dellon, Evan S.; Falk, Gary W.; Nakagawa, Hiroshi; Wang, Mei-Lun; Liu, Kuancan; Wang, Jun; Katzka, David A.; Peters, Jeffrey H.; Lan, Xiaopeng; Que, Jianwen
2015-01-01
Tissue homeostasis requires balanced self-renewal and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells, especially in tissues that are constantly replenished like the esophagus. Disruption of this balance is associated with pathological conditions, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), in which
basal progenitor cells become hyperplastic upon proinflammatory stimulation. However, how basal cells respond to the inflammatory environment at the molecular level remains undetermined. We previously reported that the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway is critical for epithelial morphogenesis in the embryonic esophagus. Here, we address how this pathway regulates tissue homeostasis and EoE development in the adult esophagus. BMP signaling was
specifically activated in differentiated squamous epithelium, but not in basal progenitor cells, which express the BMP antagonist follistatin. Previous reports indicate that increased BMP activity promotes Barrett’s intestinal differentiation; however, in mice, basal progenitor cell–specific expression of constitutively active BMP promoted squamous differentiation. Moreover, BMP activation increased intracellular ROS levels, initiating an NRF2-mediated oxidative
response during basal progenitor cell differentiation. In both a mouse EoE model and human biopsies, reduced squamous differentiation was associated with high levels of follistatin and disrupted BMP/NRF2 pathways. We therefore propose a model in which normal squamous differentiation of basal progenitor cells is mediated by BMP-driven NRF2 activation and basal cell hyperplasia is promoted by disruption of BMP signaling in EoE. PMID:25774506
Is basal ultrasensitive measurement of calcitonin capable of substituting for the pentagastrin-stimulation test?
Variable Basal Melt Rates of Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelves, 1994-2016
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Adusumilli, Susheel; Fricker, Helen Amanda; Siegfried, Matthew R.; Padman, Laurie; Paolo,
Fernando S.; Ligtenberg, Stefan R. M.
2018-05-01
We have constructed 23-year (1994-2016) time series of Antarctic Peninsula (AP) ice-shelf height change using data from four satellite radar altimeters (ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and CryoSat-2). Combining these time series with output from atmospheric and firn models, we partitioned the total height-change signal into contributions from varying surface mass balance, firn state, ice dynamics, and basal mass balance. On the
Bellingshausen coast of the AP, ice shelves lost 84 ± 34 Gt a-1 to basal melting, compared to contributions of 50 ± 7 Gt a-1 from surface mass balance and ice dynamics. Net basal melting on the Weddell coast was 51 ± 71 Gt a-1. Recent changes in ice-shelf height include increases over major AP ice shelves driven by changes in firn state. Basal melt rates near Bawden Ice Rise, a major pinning point of Larsen C Ice Shelf, showed large increases, potentially
leading to substantial loss of buttressing if sustained.
Crown-Diameter Prediction Models for 87 Species of Stand-Grown Trees in the Eastern United States
Treesearch
William A. Bechtold
2003-01-01
The mean crown diameters of stand-grown trees were modeled as a function of stem diameter, live-crown ratio, stand basal area, latitude, longitude, elevation, and Hopkins bioclimatic index for 87 tree species in the eastern United States. Stem diameter was statistically significant in all models, and a quadratic term for stem diameter was required for some species....
Basal cell carcinomas in elderly patients treated by cryotherapy
Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant skin tumor with high incidence in our country, especially in rural areas, on sun-exposed skin (particularly on the face) in elderly patients. We present three cases of basal cell carcinoma with good results with cryotherapy. This report aims to outline and to prove that in some difficult situations, a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-perform procedure with no contraindications and with minimal side effects
(erythema, mild pain) can be applied and resolve such cases. PMID:23569366
Can we Relate Basal Ice Mechanics to Seismic Observations of the Bed?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kyrke-Smith,
T.; Gudmundsson, G. H.; Farrell, P. E.
2017-12-01
We compare results from two different methods of quanitfying basal ice conditions, by investigating correlations between seismically-derived estimates of basal acoustic impedance and basal slipperiness values obtained from a surface-to-bed inversion of a Stokes ice flow model. Using high-resolution measurements taken along several seismic profiles on Pine Island Glacier (PIG), we find no
correlation between acoustic impedance and retrieved basal slipperiness wihtin each individual profile. However, there is a correlation when comparing averaged values across each distinct profile. Nevertheless, there is no clear way of incorporating seismic measurements of bed properties on ice streams into ice flow models. We conclude that more theoretical work needs done before constraints on mechanical conditions at the ice-bed interface from acoustic impedance measurements can
be of direct use to ice sheet models.
Evaluation of Physical Examination Tests for Thumb Basal Joint Osteoarthritis
PubMed
Central
Model, Zina; Liu, Andrew Y.; Kang, Lana; Wolfe, Scott W.; Burket, Jayme C.; Lee, Steve K.
2016-01-01
Background: We compare the ability of 3 diagnostic tests to reproduce the pain of basilar joint arthritis (BJA): the grind test, the lever test (grasping the first metacarpal just distal to the basal joint and shucking back and forth in radial and ulnar directions), and the metacarpophalangeal extension test. Methods: Sixty-two patients with thumb BJA
were enrolled. The 3 tests were performed in a random order on both hands of each patient. Prior to testing, patients reported their typical pain level and subsequently rated their pain after each test on a 0 to 10 scale, also specifying the extent to which the test reproduced their thumb pain (fully, partially, not at all). All patients had radiographs that displayed basal joint arthritis. A test was defined as positive for BJA if pain produced was greater than 0. Sensitivity and
specificity for each test were calculated using the patients’ history of pain localized to the basal joint and BJA diagnosis on radiographs as the gold standard. Results: The lever test produced the greatest level of pain and best reproduced the presenting pain. The lever test also had the highest sensitivity, high specificity, and the lowest false-negative rate. The grind test had the lowest sensitivity, highest specificity, and highest false-negative rate. Conclusions: The lever
test was the diagnostic test that best reproduced the pain caused by thumb basal joint osteoarthritis. We recommend using the lever physical examination test when evaluating the patient with suspected basal joint osteoarthritis. The often-quoted grind test is of limited diagnostic value. PMID:27418899
How Effective Are Pictures in Basal Readers?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Legenza, Alice; Knafle, June D.
1978-01-01
When a formula
for assessing the language stimulation value of pictures was applied to several basal readers, the results indicated that most of the pictures were of low potency or stimulation potential. (MKM)
Basal Cell Carcinoma Arising in a Breast Augmentation Scar.
PubMed
Edwards, Lisa R; Cresce, Nicole D; Russell, Mark A
2017-04-01
We report a case of a 46-year-old female who presented with a persistent lesion on the inferior right breast. The lesion was located within the scar from a breast augmentation procedure 12 years ago. The lesion had been treated as several conditions with no improvement. Biopsy revealed a superficial and nodular
basal cell carcinoma, and the lesion was successfully removed with Mohs micrographic surgery. Basal cell carcinoma arising in a surgical scar is exceedingly rare with only 13 reported cases to date. This is the first reported case of basal cell carcinoma arising in a breast augmentation scar. We emphasize the importance of biopsy for suspicious lesions or those refractory to treatment, particularly those lesions that form within a scar. Level of Evidence V
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Basal cell carcinoma of the nipple - an unusual
location in a male patient.
Although basal cell carcinoma is extremely common, it only rarely occurs on the nipple. Men are affected more often than women. Basal cell carcinoma of the nipple-areola complex may be more aggressive as
metastases to regional lymph nodes have been reported. We report a basal cell carcinoma of the nipple with features of a fibroepithelioma of Pinkus in a man and review the literature.
On the evolution of developmental mechanisms: Divergent polarities in leaf growth as a case study.
PubMed
Gupta, Mainak Das; Nath, Utpal
2016-01-01
Most model plants used to study leaf growth share a common developmental mechanism, namely basipetal growth polarity, wherein the distal end differentiates first with progressively more proliferative cells toward the base. Therefore, this base-to-tip growth pattern has served as a paradigm to explain leaf growth and also formed the basis
for several computational models. However, our recent report in The Plant Cell on the investigation of leaf growth in 75 eudicotspecies covering a wide range of eudicot families showed that leaves grow with divergent polarities in the proximo-distal axis or without any obvious polarity. This divergence in growth polarity is linked to the expression divergence of a conserved microRNA-transcription factor module. This study raises several questions on the
evolutionary origin of leaf growth pattern, such as 'when and why in evolution did the divergent growth polarities arise?' and 'what were the molecular changes that led to this divergence?'. Here, we discuss a few of these questions in some detail.
Distribution and co-localization of choline
acetyltransferase and p75 neurotrophin receptors in the sheep basal forebrain: implications for the use of a specific cholinergic immunotoxin.
PubMed
Ferreira, G; Meurisse, M; Tillet, Y; Lévy, F
2001-01-01
cholinergic immunotoxin effective in sheep provides a new tool to probe the involvement of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in cognitive
processes in this species.
Can tree species diversity be assessed with Landsat data in a temperate forest?
PubMed
Arekhi, Maliheh; Yılmaz, Osman Yalçın; Yılmaz, Hatice;
Akyüz, Yaşar Feyza
2017-10-28
The diversity of forest trees as an indicator of ecosystem health can be assessed using the spectral characteristics of plant communities through remote sensing data. The objectives of this study were to investigate alpha and beta tree diversity using Landsat data for six dates in the Gönen dam watershed of Turkey. We used richness and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices to calculate tree alpha diversity. We also represented the relationship
between beta diversity and remotely sensed data using species composition similarity and spectral distance similarity of sampling plots via quantile regression. A total of 99 sampling units, each 20 m × 20 m, were selected using geographically stratified random sampling method. Within each plot, the tree species were identified, and all of the trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) larger than 7 cm were measured. Presence/absence and
abundance data (tree species number and tree speciesbasal area) of tree species were used to determine the relationship between richness and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, which were computed with ground field data, and spectral variables derived (2 × 2 pixels and 3 × 3 pixels) from Landsat 8 OLI data. The Shannon-Weiner index had the highest correlation. For all six dates, NDVI (normalized difference vegetation
index) was the spectral variable most strongly correlated with the Shannon index and the tree diversity variables. The Ratio of green to red (VI) was the spectral variable least correlated with the tree diversity variables and the Shannon basal area. In both beta diversity curves, the slope of the OLS regression was low, while in the upper quantile, it was approximately twice the lower quantiles. The Jaccard index is closed to one with little difference in both two beta diversity
approaches. This result is due to increasing the similarity between the sampling plots when they are located close to each other. The intercept differences between two
Challenges and unmet needs in basal insulin therapy: lessons from the Asian experience.
Basal insulin therapy can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, timely initiation, optimal titration, and proper adherence to prescribed basal insulin
regimens are necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control. Even so, glycemic control may remain suboptimal in a significant proportion of patients. Unique circumstances in Asia (eg, limited resources, management of diabetes primarily in nonspecialist settings, and patient populations that are predominantly less educated) coupled with the limitations of current basal insulin options (eg, risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility) amplify the challenge of optimal
basal insulin therapy in Asia. Significant progress has been made with long-acting insulin analogs (insulin glargine 100 units/mL and insulin detemir), which provide longer coverage and less risk of hypoglycemia over intermediate-acting insulin (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin). Furthermore, recent clinical evidence suggests that newer long-acting insulin analogs, new insulin glargine 300 units/mL and insulin degludec, may address some of the unmet needs of current
basal insulin options in terms of risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility. Nevertheless, more can be done to overcome barriers to basal insulin therapy in Asia, through educating both patients and physicians, developing better patient support models, and improving accessibility to long-acting insulin analogs. In this study, we highlight the unique challenges associated with basal insulin therapy in Asia and, where possible, propose strategies to
address the unmet needs by drawing on clinical experiences and perspectives in Asia.
Challenges and unmet needs in basal insulin therapy: lessons from the Asian experience
Basal insulin therapy can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, timely initiation, optimal titration, and proper adherence to prescribed basal
insulin regimens are necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control. Even so, glycemic control may remain suboptimal in a significant proportion of patients. Unique circumstances in Asia (eg, limited resources, management of diabetes primarily in nonspecialist settings, and patient populations that are predominantly less educated) coupled with the limitations of current basal insulin options (eg, risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility) amplify the challenge of optimal
basal insulin therapy in Asia. Significant progress has been made with long-acting insulin analogs (insulin glargine 100 units/mL and insulin detemir), which provide longer coverage and less risk of hypoglycemia over intermediate-acting insulin (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin). Furthermore, recent clinical evidence suggests that newer long-acting insulin analogs, new insulin glargine 300 units/mL and insulin degludec, may address some of the unmet needs of current
basal insulin options in terms of risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility. Nevertheless, more can be done to overcome barriers to basal insulin therapy in Asia, through educating both patients and physicians, developing better patient support models, and improving accessibility to long-acting insulin analogs. In this study, we highlight the unique challenges associated with basal insulin therapy in Asia and, where possible, propose strategies to
address the unmet needs by drawing on clinical experiences and perspectives in Asia. PMID:29276400
Basal Cell Carcinoma Arising within Seborrheic Keratosis
PubMed Central
Yurdakul, Cüneyt; Güçer, Hasan; Sehitoglu, Ibrahim
2014-01-01
Malignant tumour development within a seborrheic keratosis (SK) is extremely rare. Though the most commonly developed malignant tumour is the basal cell carcinoma (BCC), other tumour types have also been reported in literature. Herein, we will report a superficial type BCC case developed within SK localized in
hairy skin of a 78-year-old female patient. In immunohistochemical evaluation, diffuse positive staining with CK19 and over-expression in p53 compared with non-neoplastic areas were determined in neoplastic basaloid islands. It is always not easy to differentiate especially superficial type BCC cases from non-neoplastic epithelium of SK with histopathological evaluation. As far as this reason we believe that in difficult differentiation of these 2 lesions, in order to show the differentiation in
basal epithelium, immunohistochemical evaluation may be helpful. PMID:25177624
Expression of heparanase in basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
PubMed
Pinhal,
Maria Aparecida Silva; Almeida, Maria Carolina Leal; Costa, Alessandra Scorse; Theodoro, Thérèse Rachell; Serrano, Rodrigo Lorenzetti; Machado, Carlos D'Apparecida Santos
2016-01-01
Heparanase is an enzyme that cleaves heparan sulfate chains. Oligosaccharides generated by heparanase induce tumor progression. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma comprise types of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Evaluate the glycosaminoglycans profile and expression of heparanase in
two human cell lines established in culture, immortalized skin keratinocyte (HaCaT) and squamous cell carcinoma (A431) and also investigate the expression of heparanase in basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and eyelid skin of individuals not affected by the disease (control). Glycosaminoglycans were quantified by electrophoresis and indirect ELISA method. The heparanase expression was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR (qRTPCR). The A431 strain showed significant increase in
the sulfated glycosaminoglycans, increased heparanase expression and decreased hyaluronic acid, comparing to the HaCaT lineage. The mRNA expression of heparanase was significantly higher in Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma compared with control skin samples. It was also observed increased heparanase expression in squamous cell carcinoma compared to the Basal cell carcinoma. The glycosaminoglycans profile, as well as heparanase expression are different
between HaCaT and A431 cell lines. The increased expression of heparanase in Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma suggests that this enzyme could be a marker for the diagnosis of such types of non-melanoma cancers, and may be useful as a target molecule for future alternative treatment.
Constitutive NOTCH3 Signaling Promotes the Growth of Basal Breast Cancers.
PubMed
Choy, Lisa; Hagenbeek, Thijs J; Solon, Margaret; French, Dorothy; Finkle, David; Shelton, Amy; Venook, Rayna; Brauer,
Matthew J; Siebel, Christian W
Surface and Basal Roughness in Radar Sounding Data: Obstacle and Opportunity
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schroeder,
D. M.; Grima, C.; Haynes, M.
2015-12-01
The surface and basal roughness of glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves can pose a significant obstacle to the visual interpretation and quantitative analysis of radar sounding data. Areas of high surface roughness - including grounding zones, shear margins, and crevasse fields - can produce clutter and side-lobe signals that obscure the interpretation of englacial and subglacial features. These areas can also introduce
significant variation in bed echo strength profiles as a result of losses from two-way propagation through rough ice surfaces. Similarly, reflections from rough basal interfaces beneath ice sheets and ice shelves can also result in large, spatially variable losses in bed echo power. If unmitigated and uncorrected, these effects can degrade or prevent the definitive interpretation of material and geometric properties at the base of ice sheets and ice shelves using radar reflectivity
and bed echo character. However, these effects also provide geophysical signatures of surface and basal interface character - including surface roughness, firn density, subglacial bedform geometry, ice shelf basal roughness, marine-ice/brine detection, and crevasse geometry - that can be observed and constrained by exploiting roughness effects in radar sounding data. We present a series of applications and approaches for characterizing and correcting surface and
basal roughness effects for airborne radar sounding data collected in Antarctica. We also present challenges, insights, and opportunities for extending these techniques to the orbital radar sounding of Europa's ice shell.
The influence of foraging
mode and arid adaptation on the basal metabolic rates of burrowing mammals.
PubMed
White, Craig R
2003-01-01
Two competing but nonexclusive hypotheses to explain the reduced basal metabolic rate (BMR) of mammals that live and forage underground (fossorial species) are examined by comparing this group with burrowing mammals that forage on
the surface (semifossorial species). These hypotheses suggest that the low BMR of fossorial species either compensates for the enormous energetic demands of subterranean foraging (the cost-of-burrowing hypothesis) or prevents overheating in closed burrow systems (the thermal-stress hypothesis). Because phylogentically informed allometric analysis showed that arid burrowing mammals have a significantly lower BMR than mesic ones, fossorial and semifossorial
species were compared within these groups. The BMRs of mesic fossorial and semifossorial mammals could not be reliably distinguished, nor could the BMRs of large (>77 g) arid fossorial and semifossorial mammals. This finding favours the thermal-stress hypothesis, because the groups appear to have similar BMRs despite differences in foraging costs. However, in support of the cost-of-burrowing hypothesis, small (<77 g) arid fossorial mammals were found to have a significantly
lower BMR than semifossorial mammals of the similar size. Given the high mass-specific metabolic rates of small animals, they are expected to be under severe energy and water stress in arid environments. Under such conditions, the greatly reduced BMR of small fossorial species may compensate for the enormous energetic demands of subterranean foraging.
A nearest-neighbor imputation approach to mapping tree species over large areas using forest inventory plots and moderate resolution raster data
Treesearch
B. Tyler Wilson; Andrew J. Lister; Rachel I. Riemann
2012-01-01
The paper describes an efficient approach for mapping multiple individual tree species over large spatial domains. The method integrates vegetation phenology derived from MODIS imagery and raster data describing relevant environmental parameters with extensive field plot data of tree speciesbasal area to create maps of tree species abundance and distribution at a 250-...
The interannual and regional
variability in Arctic sea ice melt has previously been characterized only in terms of surface melting. A focus on the variability in the onset of basal melt is additionally required to understand Arctic melt patterns. Monitoring basal melt provides a glimpse into the importance of ocean heating to sea ice melt. This warming is predominantly through seawater exposure due to lead opening and the associated solar warming at the ocean's surface. We present the temporal
variability in basal melt onset observed by ice mass balance buoys throughout the Arctic Ocean since 2003, providing a different perspective than the satellite microwave data used to measure the onset of surface melt. We found that melt onset varies greatly, even for buoys deployed within 100km of each other. Therefore large volumes of data are necessary to accurately estimate the variability of basal melt onset. Once the variability of basal melt onset has
been identified, we can investigate how this range has been changing as a response to atmospheric and oceanic warming, changes in ice morphology as well as the intensification of the ice albedo feedback.
Basal ganglia structure in Tourette's disorder and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder.
PubMed
Forde, Natalie J; Zwiers, Marcel P; Naaijen, Jilly; Akkermans, Sophie E A; Openneer, Thaira J C; Visscher, Frank; Dietrich, Andrea; Buitelaar, Jan K; Hoekstra, Pieter J
Syntenic block overlap multiplicities with a panel of reference genomes provide a signature of ancient polyploidization events.
PubMed
Zheng, Chunfang; Santos Muñoz, Daniella; Albert, Victor A; Sankoff, David
2015-01-01
Following whole genome duplication (WGD), there is a compact distribution of gene similarities within the genome reflecting duplicate pairs of all the genes in the genome. With time, the distribution broadens and loses volume due to variable decay of duplicate gene similarity and to the process of duplicate gene loss. If there are two WGD, the older one becomes so reduced and broad that it merges with the tail of the distributions resulting from more recent events, and it becomes difficult
to distinguish them. The goal of this paper is to advance statistical methods of identifying, or at least counting, the WGD events in the lineage of a given genome. For a set of 15 angiosperm genomes, we analyze all 15 × 14 = 210 ordered pairs of target genome versus reference genome, using SynMap to find syntenic blocks. We consider all sets of B ≥ 2 syntenic blocks in the target genome that overlap in the reference genome as evidence of WGD activity in the target, whether it be one event or
several. We hypothesize that in fitting an exponential function to the tail of the empirical distribution f (B) of block multiplicities, the size of the exponent will reflect the amount of WGD in the history of the target genome. By amalgamating the results from all reference genomes, a range of values of SynMap parameters, and alternative cutoff points for the tail, we find a clear pattern whereby multiple-WGD core eudicots have the smallest (negative) exponents, followed by core
eudicots with only the single "γ" triplication in their history, followed by a non-core eudicot with a single WGD, followed by the monocots, with a basal angiosperm, the WGD-free Amborella having the largest exponent. The hypothesis that the exponent of the fit to the tail of the multiplicity distribution is a signature of the amount of WGD is verified, but there is also a clear complicating factor in the monocot clade, where a history of multiple WGD is
not reflected in a small exponent.
Photodynamic therapy of locally advanced basal cell skin cancer
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Riabov, Mikhail V.; Stranadko, Evgeny P.
2005-08-01
The treatment of locally spread basal-cell skin cancer is very difficult and often complicated with local recurrence. Traditional techniques are sometimes insufficient for this pathology, especially for recurrent tumors. In the State Research Center for Laser Medicine photodynamic therapy had been used for treatment of 103 patients with locally spread basal-cell skin cancer, including 64 with recurrent tumors. Therapeutic effect has been achieved in all cases,
including complete tumor resorption in 67% of patients. Presented paper contains analysis of immediate and long-term follow-up results.
Cranial Ontogeny of the Early Triassic Basal Cynodont Galesaurus planiceps.
Carbachol inhibits basal and forskolin-evoked adult rat striatal acetylcholine release.
PubMed
Login, I S
1997-05-27
Acutely dissociated adult rat striatal cholinergic neurons labeled with [3H]choline were used in a perifusion system to study muscarinic regulation of basal and forskolin-stimulated fractional [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]-ACh) efflux in the absence of synaptic modulation. Carbachol inhibited basal (40% maximal inhibition; IC50 approximately 0.7 microM) and forskolin-evoked release (75% inhibition; IC50 approximately 0.05 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner, and
both carbachol actions were abolished with atropine. Thus, activation of striatal muscarinic cholinergic autoreceptors potently inhibits basal and adenylate cyclase-stimulated ACh release. Tonic inhibitory control of cholinergic activity by functional striatal circuitry apparently prevents detection of these important physiological interactions in slices or in situ.
Primary Cutaneous Carcinosarcoma of the Basal Cell Subtype Should Be Treated as a High-Risk Basal Cell Carcinoma.
Dynamics of action potential backpropagation in basal dendrites of prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons.
PubMed
Zhou, Wen-Liang; Yan,
Ping; Wuskell, Joseph P; Loew, Leslie M; Antic, Srdjan D
2008-02-01
Basal dendrites of neocortical pyramidal neurons are relatively short and directly attached to the cell body. This allows electrical signals arising in basal dendrites to strongly influence the neuronal output. Likewise, somatic action potentials (APs) should readily propagate back into the basilar dendritic tree to influence synaptic plasticity. Two recent studies, however, determined that
sodium APs are severely attenuated in basal dendrites of cortical pyramidal cells, so that they completely fail in distal dendritic segments. Here we used the latest improvements in the voltage-sensitive dye imaging technique (Zhou et al., 2007) to study AP backpropagation in basal dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the rat prefrontal cortex. With a signal-to-noise ratio of > 15 and minimal temporal averaging (only four sweeps) we were able to sample AP
waveforms from the very last segments of individual dendritic branches (dendritic tips). We found that in short- (< 150 microm) and medium (150-200 microm in length)-range basal dendrites APs backpropagated with modest changes in AP half-width or AP rise-time. The lack of substantial changes in AP shape and dynamics of rise is inconsistent with the AP-failure model. The lack of substantial amplitude boosting of the third AP in the high-frequency burst also suggests that in short-
and medium-range basal dendrites backpropagating APs were not severely attenuated. Our results show that the AP-failure concept does not apply in all basal dendrites of the rat prefrontal cortex. The majority of synaptic contacts in the basilar dendritic tree actually received significant AP-associated electrical and calcium transients.
The role of basal cells in adhesion of columnar epithelium to airway basement membrane.
PubMed
Evans, M J; Plopper, C G
1988-08-01
In this report, we present a new concept of the role of the
basal cell in airway epithelium. Previously, the basal cell was thought to be the progenitor cell for the columnar epithelium. However, several studies have shown that this concept may not be correct. The morphologic aspects of the basal cell suggest that it could play a role in adhesion of the columnar epithelium to the basement membrane. Basal cells form attachments with columnar cells (desmosomes) and with the basement membrane
(hemidesmosomes). Columnar cells do not form hemidesmosome attachments with the basement membrane. Basal cells could strengthen the adhesion of columnar cells to the basement membrane by forming hemidesmosome attachments to the basement membrane and desmosome attachments with adjacent columnar cells. Incidental evidence from 2 existing publications concerning airway microanatomy support this concept. As columnar cells grow taller, the proportion of the cell surface in contact with
the basement membrane becomes progressively smaller, and thus the cell surface area related to adhesion also becomes smaller. It was found that the number of basal cells per millimeter of basement membrane was closely related to the height of the columnar cell epithelium (r = 0.98), but not to the number of columnar cells (r = 0.42). The consistency of the relationship between increased columnar cell height (and thus decreased surface area for adhesion) and the number of
basal cells present (r = 0.98) supports the concept that the basal cell plays a role in adhesion of columnar cells to the basement membrane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Study of How the Family Is Portrayed in Basal
Readers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Evans, Nancy J.
A study examined the ways that basal readers portrayed the family. It was expected that the readers would give only token representation of both parents working or of one-parent or mixed marriage families, and that very few portrayals of reading or of reading materials would be
found. Eight basal readers from 6 publishing companies for grades 1…
Basal Area Growth Estimators for Survivor Component: A Quality Control Application
Treesearch
Charles E. Thomas; Francis
A. Roesch
1990-01-01
Several possible estimators are available for basal area growth of survivor trees, when horizontal prism (or point) plots (HPP) are remeasured. This study's comparison of three estimators not only provides a check for the estimate of basal area growth but suggests that they can provide a quality control indicator for yield procedures. An example is derived from...
Improvement of basal conditions knowledge in Antarctica using data assimilation methods
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mosbeux, C.; Gillet-Chaulet, F.; Gagliardini, O.
2017-12-01
The
current global warming seems to have direct consequences on ice-sheet mass loss. Unfortunately, as highlighted in the last IPCC report, current ice-sheets models face several difficulties in assessing the future evolution of the dynamics of ice sheets for the next century. Indeed, projections are still plagued with high uncertainties partially due to the poor representation of occurring physical processes, but also due to the poor initialisation of ice flow models. More specifically, simulations
are very sensitive to initial parameters such as the basal friction between ice-sheet and bedrock and the bedrock topography which are still badly known because of a lack of direct observations or large uncertainty on measurements. Improving the knowledge of these two parameters in Greenland and Antarctica is therefore a prerequisite for making reliable projections. Data assimilation methods have been developed in order to overcome this problem such as the Bayesian approach of
Pralong and Gudmundsson (2009) or the adjoint method tested by Goldberg and Heimbach (2013) and Perego et al. (2014). The present work is based on two different assimilation algorithms to better constrain both basal drag and bedrock elevation parameters. The first algorithm is entirely based on the adjoint method while the second one uses an iterative method coupling inversion of basal friction based on an adjoint method and through an inversion of bedrock topography
using a nudging method. Both algorithms have been implemented in the finite element ice sheet and ice flow model Elmer/Ice and have been tested in a twin experiment showing a clear improvement of both parameters knowledge (Mosbeux et al., 2016). Here, the methods are applied to a real 3D case in East Antarctica and with an ensemble method approach. The application of both algorithms reduces the uncertainty on basal conditions, for instance by providing more details to the
basal geometry when compared to usual DEM. Moreover, as in the
Mapping host-species abundance of three major exotic forest pests
Treesearch
Randall S. Morin; Andrew M. Liebhold; Eugene R.
Luzader; Andrew J. Lister; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Daniel B. Twardus
2005-01-01
Periodically over the last century, forests of the Eastern United States devastated by invasive pests. We used existing data to predict the geographical extent of future damage from beech bark disease (BBD), hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), and gypsy moth. The distributions of host species of these alien pests were mapped in 1-km2 cells by interpolating host basal area/ha...
Coniosporium epidermidis sp. nov., a new species from human skin
PubMed Central
Li, D. M.; de Hoog, G.S.; Saunte, D.M.
Lindhardt; van den Ende, A.H.G. Gerrits; Chen, X. R.
2008-01-01
Coniosporium epidermidis sp. nov. is described from a superficial skin lesion with blackish discolouration in an 80-yr-old Chinese patient. The species produces dark, thick-walled, inflated, reluctantly liberating arthroconidia without longitudinal septa. Sequences of the ribosomal operon, as well as of the translation elongation factor 1-α support its novelty. The species is found in a lineage
basal to the order Chaetothyriales, amidst relatives from rock, but also species repeatedly isolated from human skin and nails and eventually causing mild cutaneous infections. Coniosporium epidermidis is consistently found on humans, either asymptomatic or symptomatic. The species indicates a change of life style towards human pathogenicity, which is a recurrent type of ecology in derived Chaetothyriales. Superficial and cutaneous infection by melanized
fungi is a new category in dermatology. PMID:19287535
Pathways of basal meltwater from Antarctic ice shelves: A model study
NASA Astrophysics Data
System (ADS)
Kusahara, Kazuya; Hasumi, Hiroyasu
2014-09-01
We investigate spreading pathways of basal meltwater released from all Antarctic ice shelves using a circumpolar coupled ice shelf-sea ice-ocean model that reproduces major features of the Southern Ocean circulation, including the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Several independent virtual tracers are used to identify detailed pathways of basal meltwaters. The spreading pathways of the
meltwater tracers depend on formation sites, because the meltwaters are transported by local ambient ocean circulation. Meltwaters from ice shelves in the Weddell and Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas in surface/subsurface layers are effectively advected to lower latitudes with the ACC. Although a large portion of the basal meltwaters is present in surface and subsurface layers, a part of the basal meltwaters penetrates into the bottom layer through active dense water
formation along the Antarctic coastal margins. The signals at the seafloor extend along the topography, showing a horizontal distribution similar to the observed spreading of Antarctic Bottom Water. Meltwaters originating from ice shelves in the Weddell and Ross Seas and in the Indian sector significantly contribute to the bottom signals. A series of numerical experiments in which thermodynamic interaction between the ice shelf and ocean is neglected regionally demonstrates that the
basal meltwater of each ice shelf impacts sea ice and/or ocean thermohaline circulation in the Southern Ocean. This article was corrected on 10 OCT 2014. See the end of the full text for details.
A novel method of basal crevasse height estimation and subsequent
rifting
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Logan, L.; Catania, G. A.; Lavier, L. L.; Choi, E.
2012-12-01
Basal crevasses may play an important precursory role in the location and propagation of rifts and in ice shelf disintegration. Here we develop a novel method for estimating the locations and heights of basal crevasses formed at the grounding line of ice
shelves and ice streams. We assume a thin-elastic beam formulation (TEB) with a tensional plastic yielding criterion to capture the physics of a tidally flexed grounding line. Observations of basal crevasses in the Siple Coast area match well with predictions produced by this method. Areas with large misfit can be delineated by examining the strain rate field; indeed, in our estimations those crevasses which deviate most from the TEB prediction lie directly in a shear margin. We
test the method against other areas in the Larsen Ice Shelf, and find again a good match. Thus we suggest the TEB as an alternative to other crevasse estimation methods, as it produces a good fit in predominantly tensile regions, requires no tuning or prior information, and is computationally free to implement into large scale ice models which aim at physically simulating calving and fracture processes. We pursue modeling basal crevasses as they evolve with a thermomechanical
finite-difference 3-dimensional model called SNAC. Viscoelastoplastic ice follows Mohr-Coulomb tension failure with Glen's flow law. We examine the conditions necessary for a basal crevasse formed on the downstream side of an ice rise to propagate the full thickness of the ice, developing into a rift.
Basal Ganglia Shape Abnormalities in the Unaffected Siblings of Schizophrenia Patients
PubMed Central
Mamah, Daniel; Harms, Michael P.;
Wang, Lei; Barch, Deanna; Thompson, Paul; Kim, Jaeyun; Miller, Michael I.; Csernansky, John G.
2008-01-01
Objective Abnormalities of basal ganglia structure in schizophrenia have been attributed to the effects of antipsychotic drugs. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that abnormalities of basal ganglia structure are intrinsic features of schizophrenia, by assessing basal ganglia volume and shape in the unaffected siblings of schizophrenia
subjects. Method The study involved 25 pairs of schizophrenia subjects and their unaffected siblings and 40 pairs of healthy controls and their siblings. Large deformation, high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain surface representations of the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. Surfaces were derived from transformations of anatomical templates and shapes were analyzed using reduced-dimensional measures of surface variability (i.e. principal components and canonical analysis).
Canonical functions were derived using schizophrenia and control groups, and were then used to compare shapes in the sibling groups. To visualize shape differences, maps of the estimated surface displacement between groups were created. Results In the caudate, putamen and globus pallidus, the degree of shape abnormality observed in the siblings of the schizophrenia subjects was intermediate between the schizophrenia subjects and the controls. In the schizophrenia subjects, significant
correlations were observed between measures of caudate, putamen and globus pallidus structure and the selected measures of lifetime psychopathology. Conclusions Attenuated abnormalities of basal ganglia structure are present in the unaffected siblings of schizophrenia subjects. This finding implies that basal ganglia structural abnormalities observed in subjects with schizophrenia are at least in part an intrinsic feature of the illness. PMID:18295189
[Models for biomass estimation of four shrub species planted in urban area of Xi'an city, Northwest China].
PubMed
Yao, Zheng-Yang; Liu, Jian-Jun
2014-01-01
Four common greening shrub
species (i. e. Ligustrum quihoui, Buxus bodinieri, Berberis xinganensis and Buxus megistophylla) in Xi'an City were selected to develop the highest correlation and best-fit estimation models for the organ (branch, leaf and root) and total biomass against different independent variables. The results indicated that the organ and total biomass optimal models of the four shrubs were power functional model (CAR model) except for the leaf biomass model of B. megistophylla which was
logarithmic functional model (VAR model). The independent variables included basal diameter, crown diameter, crown diameter multiplied by height, canopy area and canopy volume. B. megistophylla significantly differed from the other three shrub species in the independent variable selection, which were basal diameter and crown-related factors, respectively.
Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users.
Microbial activity in debris-rich basal ice; adaption to sub-zero, saline conditions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Montross, S. N.; Skidmore,
M. L.; Christner, B. C.; Griggs, R.; Tison, J.; Sowers, T. A.
2011-12-01
Polycrystalline ice in glaciers and ice sheets has a high preservation potential for biological material and chemical compounds that can be used to document the presence of active microbial metabolism at sub-zero temperatures. The concentration and isotopic composition of gases, in conjunction with other aqueous chemical species in debris-rich basal glacier ice from Taylor Glacier,
Antarctica were used as direct evidence that cells entrained in the ice remain metabolically active at temperatures as low as -17°C, likely in thin films of liquid water along ice crystal and mineral grain boundaries. δ18O2 and δ13CO2 values measured in the ice are consistent with the hypothesis that abrupt changes measured in O2 and CO2 concentrations between debris-rich and debris-poor ice are due to in situ microbial mineralization of organic carbon. Low temperature culture-based experiments
conducted using organisms isolated from the ice indicate the ability to respire organic carbon to CO2 under oxic conditions and under anoxic conditions couple carbon mineralization to dissimilatory iron reduction using Fe3+ as an electron acceptor. Microorganisms that are active in the debris-rich basal ice layers in terrestrial polar ice masses need to be adapted to surviving subzero temperatures and saline conditions on extended timescales. Thus these terrestrial glacial systems
and the isotopic and geochemical biomarkers therein provide good analogues for guiding exploration and analysis of debris-rich ices in extraterrestrial settings, for example, on Mars.
Red Dot Basal Cell Carcinoma: An Unusual Variant of a Common Malignancy.
PubMed
Loh, Tiffany Y; Cohen, Philip R
2016-05-01
Red dot basal cell carcinoma is a distinct but rare subtype of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It presents as a red macule or papule; therefore, in most cases, it may easily be mistaken for a benign vascular lesion, such as a telangiectasia or angioma. A red dot BCC in an older woman is described. Clinical and
histological differences between red dot BCCs and telangiectasias are described. A 72-year-old woman initially presented with a painless red macule on her nose. Biopsy of the lesion established the diagnosis of a red dot BCC. Pubmed was searched for the following terms: angioma, basal cell carcinoma, dermoscope, diascopy, red dot, non-melanoma skin cancer, telangiectasia, and vascular. The papers were reviewed for cases of red dot basal cell carcinoma. Clinical and
histological characteristics of red dot basal cell carcinoma and telangiectasias were compared. Red dot BCC is an extremely rare variant of BCC that may be confused with benign vascular lesions. Although BCCs rarely metastasize and are associated with low mortality, they have the potential to become locally invasive and destructive if left untreated. Thus, a high index of suspicion for red dot BCC is necessary.
J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(5):645-647.
Basal-topographic control of stationary ponds on a continuously moving landslide
USGS Publications Warehouse
Coe, J.A.; McKenna, J.P.; Godt, J.W.; Baum, R.L.
2009-01-01
The Slumgullion
landslide in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado has been moving for at least the last few hundred years and has multiple ponds on its surface. We have studied eight ponds during 30 trips to the landslide between July 1998 and July 2007. During each trip, we have made observations on the variability in pond locations and water levels, taken ground-based photographs to document pond water with respect to moving landslide material and vegetation, conducted Global Positioning System
surveys of the elevations of water levels and mapped pond sediments on the landslide surface. Additionally, we have used stereo aerial photographs taken in October 1939, October 1940 and July 2000 to measure topographic profiles of the eight pond locations, as well as a longitudinal profile along the approximate centerline of the landslide, to examine topographic changes over a 60- to 61-year period of time. Results from field observations, analyses of photographs, mapping and measurements
indicate that all pond locations have remained spatially stationary for 60-300 years while landslide material moves through these locations. Water levels during the observation period were sensitive to changes in the local, spring-fed, stream network, and to periodic filling of pond locations by sediment from floods, hyperconcentrated flows, mud flows and debris flows. For pond locations to remain stationary, the locations must mimic depressions along the basal surface of the
landslide. The existence of such depressions indicates that the topography of the basal landslide surface is irregular. These results suggest that, for translational landslides that have moved distances larger than the dimensions of the largest basal topographic irregularities (about 200 m at Slumgullion), landslide surface morphology can be used as a guide to the morphology of the basal slip surface. Because basal slip surface morphology can
affect landslide stability, kinematic models and stability
Evaluation of basal DNA damage and oxidative stress in Wistar rat leukocytes after exposure to microwave radiation.
PubMed
Garaj-Vrhovac,
Vera; Gajski, Goran; Trosić, Ivancica; Pavicić, Ivan
2009-05-17
The aim of this study was to assess whether microwave-induced DNA damage is basal or it is also generated through reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. After having irradiated Wistar rats with 915MHz microwave radiation, we assessed different DNA alterations in peripheral leukocytes using standard and formamidopyrimidine DNA-glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assay. The first is a sensitive
tool for detecting primary DNA damage, and the second is much more specific for detecting oxidative damage. The animals were irradiated for 1h a day for 2 weeks at a field power density of 2.4W/m(2), and the whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.6W/kg. Both the standard and the Fpg-modified comet assay detected increased DNA damage in blood leukocytes of the exposed rats. The significant increase in Fpg-detected DNA damage in the exposed rats suggests that oxidative stress is
likely to be responsible. DNA damage detected by the standard comet assay indicates that some other mechanisms may also be involved. In addition, both methods served proved sensitive enough to measure basal and oxidative DNA damage after long-term exposure to 915MHz microwave radiation in vivo.
Possible sources of genetic resistance in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) to basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninense--prospects for future breeding.
PubMed
Durand-Gasselin, T; Asmady, H; Flori,
A; Jacquemard, J C; Hayun, Z; Breton, F; de Franqueville, H
2005-01-01
Oil palm estates in southeast Asia suffer from substantial losses due to basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninense. Field observations have been carried out in North Sumatra, Indonesia, on a series of planting materials of known origin. Differences in susceptibility to the disease have been detected within the two Elaeis species, guineensis and oleifera. Within Elaeis guineensis,
material of Deli origin is highly susceptible compared to material of African origin. It is also possible to detect differences in reaction between parents and between crosses within a given origin. The variability of resistance to basal stem rot within the same cross is also illustrated by the diverse responses of clones derived from palms of the same origin. The prospects opened up by these results are discussed, and the importance of performing an early selection test is
highlighted.
Mammalian basal metabolic rate is proportional to body mass2/3
PubMed Central
White, Craig R.; Seymour,
Roger S.
2003-01-01
The relationship between mammalian basal metabolic rate (BMR, ml of O2 per h) and body mass (M, g) has been the subject of regular investigation for over a century. Typically, the relationship is expressed as an allometric equation of the form BMR = aMb. The scaling exponent (b) is a point of contention throughout this body of literature, within which arguments for and against geometric (b = 2/3) and quarter-power (b = 3/4) scaling are made and
rebutted. Recently, interest in the topic has been revived by published explanations for quarter-power scaling based on fractal nutrient supply networks and four-dimensional biology. Here, a new analysis of the allometry of mammalian BMR that accounts for variation associated with body temperature, digestive state, and phylogeny finds no support for a metabolic scaling exponent of 3/4. Data encompassing five orders of magnitude variation in M and featuring 619 species from 19
mammalian orders show that BMR ∝ M2/3. PMID:12637681
Partial denervation of sub-basal axons persists following debridement wounds to the mouse cornea.
PubMed
Pajoohesh-Ganji, Ahdeah;
Pal-Ghosh, Sonali; Tadvalkar, Gauri; Kyne, Briana M; Saban, Daniel R; Stepp, Mary Ann
2015-11-01
Although sensory reinnervation occurs after injury in the peripheral nervous system, poor reinnervation in the elderly and those with diabetes often leads to pathology. Here we quantify sub-basal axon density in the central and peripheral mouse cornea over time after three different types of injury. The mouse cornea is highly innervated with a dense array of
sub-basal nerves that form a spiral called the vortex at the corneal center or apex; these nerves are readily detected within flat mounted corneas. After anesthesia, corneal epithelial cells were removed using either a dulled blade or a rotating burr within an area demarcated centrally with a 1.5 mm trephine. A third wound type, superficial trephination, involved demarcating the area with the 1.5 mm trephine but not removing cells. By 7 days after superficial trephination,
sub-basal axon density returns to control levels; by 28 days the vortex reforms. Although axon density is similar to control 14 days after dulled blade and rotating burr wounding, defects in axon morphology at the corneal apex remain. After 14 days, axons retract from the center leaving the sub-basal axon density reduced by 37.2 and 36.8% at 28 days after dulled blade and rotating burr wounding, respectively, compared with control. Assessment of inflammation using flow
cytometry shows that persistent inflammation is not a factor in the incomplete reinnervation. Expression of mRNAs encoding 22 regeneration-associated genes involved in axon targeting assessed by QPCR reveals that netrin-1 and ephrin signaling are altered after wounding. Subpopulations of corneal epithelial basal cells at the corneal apex stop expressing ki67 as early as 7 days after injury and by 14 and 28 days after wounding, many of these basal cells undergo apoptosis
and die. Although sub-basal axons are restored to their normal density and morphology after superficial trephination, sub-basal axon recovery is partial after debridement wounds. The increase in corneal
Oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia and deep brain
stimulation.
The evolutionary origin of the vertebrate basal
ganglia and its role in action selection.
PubMed
Grillner, Sten; Robertson, Brita; Stephenson-Jones, Marcus
2013-11-15
The group of nuclei within the basal ganglia of the forebrain is central to the control of movement. We present data showing that the structure and function of the basal ganglia have been conserved throughout vertebrate evolution
over some 560 million years. The interaction between the different nuclei within the basal ganglia is conserved as well as the cellular and synaptic properties and transmitters. We consider the role of the conserved basal ganglia circuitry for basic patterns of motor behaviour controlled via brainstem circuits. The output of the basal ganglia consists of tonically active GABAergic neurones, which target brainstem motor centres responsible for different
patterns of behaviour, such as eye and locomotor movements, posture, and feeding. A prerequisite for activating or releasing a motor programme is that this GABAergic inhibition is temporarily reduced. This can be achieved through activation of GABAergic projection neurons from striatum, the input level of the basal ganglia, given an appropriate synaptic drive from cortex, thalamus and the dopamine system. The tonic inhibition of the motor centres at rest most likely serves to
prevent the different motor programmes from becoming active when not intended. Striatal projection neurones are subdivided into one group with dopamine 1 receptors that provides increased excitability of the direct pathway that can initiate movements, while inhibitory dopamine 2 receptors are expressed on neurones that instead inhibit movements and are part of the 'indirect loop' in mammals as well as lamprey. We review the evidence showing that all basic features of the basal
ganglia have been conserved throughout vertebrate phylogeny, and discuss these findings in relation to the role of the basal ganglia in selection of behaviour.
Sequential development of apical-basal and planar polarities in aggregating epitheliomuscular cells of Hydra.
Calving fluxes and basal melt rates of Antarctic ice shelves.
PubMed
Depoorter, M A; Bamber, J L; Griggs, J A; Lenaerts, J T M; Ligtenberg, S R M; van den Broeke, M R; Moholdt, G
2013-10-03
Iceberg calving has been assumed to be the dominant cause of mass loss for the Antarctic ice sheet, with previous estimates of the calving flux exceeding 2,000 gigatonnes per year. More recently, the importance of melting by the ocean has been demonstrated close to the
grounding line and near the calving front. So far, however, no study has reliably quantified the calving flux and the basal mass balance (the balance between accretion and ablation at the ice-shelf base) for the whole of Antarctica. The distribution of fresh water in the Southern Ocean and its partitioning between the liquid and solid phases is therefore poorly constrained. Here we estimate the mass balance components for all ice shelves in Antarctica, using satellite measurements
of calving flux and grounding-line flux, modelled ice-shelf snow accumulation rates and a regional scaling that accounts for unsurveyed areas. We obtain a total calving flux of 1,321 ± 144 gigatonnes per year and a total basal mass balance of -1,454 ± 174 gigatonnes per year. This means that about half of the ice-sheet surface mass gain is lost through oceanic erosion before reaching the ice front, and the calving flux is about 34 per cent less than previous estimates derived from
iceberg tracking. In addition, the fraction of mass loss due to basal processes varies from about 10 to 90 per cent between ice shelves. We find a significant positive correlation between basal mass loss and surface elevation change for ice shelves experiencing surface lowering and enhanced discharge. We suggest that basal mass loss is a valuable metric for predicting future ice-shelf vulnerability to oceanic forcing.
[Two new species of Phrynopus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the Bolivian cloud forests].
PubMed
Aguayo Vedia, C R; Harvey, M B
2001-03-01
We describe two new species of Phrynopus
from cloud forests in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The new species are assigned to the P. peruanus group and are characterized by the presence of basal webbing, distinctive coloration, and by having the first finger shorter than the second. The first of these new species was collected near Montepunko in Parque Nacional Carrasco and is known from eight males and six females. Among its distinctive characteristics are round cream-colored glands on its flanks. A second
species is known from one male and one female collected near "Zona de Aguirre" near the northwest border of the park. V and X-shaped blotches and a dorsum that is smooth except for dorsolateral and scapular folds characterize this species. Musculature has rarely been described for species of Phrynopus. The species from Montepunko has unusual gular and thigh musculature that is quite unlike other species of the genus.
Basal Complex and Basal Venation of Odonata Wings: Structural Diversity and Potential Role in the Wing Deformation
PubMed
Central
Rajabi, H.; Ghoroubi, N.; Malaki, M.; Darvizeh, A.; Gorb, S. N.
2016-01-01
Dragonflies and damselflies, belonging to the order Odonata, are known to be excellent fliers with versatile flight capabilities. The ability to fly over a wide range of speeds, high manoeuvrability and great agility are a few characteristics of their flight. The architecture of the wings and their structural elements have been found to play a major role in this regard. However, the precise
influence of individual wing components on the flight performance of these insects remains unknown. The design of the wing basis (so called basal complex) and the venation of this part are responsible for particular deformability and specific shape of the wing blade. However, the wing bases are rather different in representatives of different odonate groups. This presumably reflects the dimensions of the wings on one hand, and different flight characteristics on the other hand. In
this article, we develop the first three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of the proximal part of the wings of typical representatives of five dragonflies and damselflies families. Using a combination of the basic material properties of insect cuticle, a linear elastic material model and a nonlinear geometric analysis, we simulate the mechanical behaviour of the wing bases. The results reveal that although both the basal venation and the basal complex
influence the structural stiffness of the wings, it is only the latter which significantly affects their deformation patterns. The use of numerical simulations enabled us to address the role of various wing components such as the arculus, discoidal cell and triangle on the camber formation in flight. Our study further provides a detailed representation of the stress concentration in the models. The numerical analysis presented in this study is not only of importance for understanding
structure-function relationship of insect wings, but also might help to improve the design of the wings for biomimetic micro-air vehicles (MAVs). PMID:27513753
Cholinergic basal forebrain structures are not essential for mediation of the arousing action of glutamate.
PubMed
Lelkes, Zoltán; Abdurakhmanova, Shamsiiat; Porkka-Heiskanen, Tarja
Learning the reliability of different sources of rewards is critical for making optimal choices. However, despite the existence of detailed theory describing how the expected reward is learned in the basal ganglia, it is not known how reward uncertainty is estimated in these circuits. This paper presents a class of models that encode both the mean reward and the spread of the rewards, the former in the difference between the synaptic
weights of D1 and D2 neurons, and the latter in their sum. In the models, the tendency to seek (or avoid) options with variable reward can be controlled by increasing (or decreasing) the tonic level of dopamine. The models are consistent with the physiology of and synaptic plasticity in the basal ganglia, they explain the effects of dopaminergic manipulations on choices involving risks, and they make multiple experimental predictions. PMID:27589489
Precision medicine and precision therapeutics: hedgehog signaling pathway, basal cell carcinoma and beyond.
PubMed
Mohan, Shalini V; Chang, Anne Lynn S
2014-06-01
Precision medicine and precision therapeutics is currently in its infancy with tremendous potential to improve patient care by better identifying individuals at risk for skin cancer and predict tumor responses to treatment. This review focuses on the Hedgehog signaling pathway, its critical role in the pathogenesis of basal cell carcinoma, and the emergence of targeted treatments for advanced basal cell carcinoma. Opportunities to utilize precision medicine are
outlined, such as molecular profiling to predict basal cell carcinoma response to targeted therapy and to inform therapeutic decisions.
Retrieving Ice Basal Motion Using the Hydrologically Coupled JPL/UCI Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Khakbaz, B.; Morlighem, M.; Seroussi, H. L.; Larour, E. Y.
2011-12-01
The study of basal sliding in ice sheets requires coupling ice-flow models with subglacial water flow. In fact, subglacial hydrology models can be used to model basal water-pressure explicitly and to generate basal sliding velocities. This study addresses the addition of a
thin-film-based subglacial hydrologic module to the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM) developed by JPL in collaboration with the University of California Irvine (UCI). The subglacial hydrology model follows the study of J. Johnson (2002) who assumed a non-arborscent distributed drainage system in the form of a thin film beneath ice sheets. The differential equation that arises from conservation of mass in the water system is solved numerically with the finite element method in order to obtain the
spatial distribution of basal water over the study domain. The resulting sheet water thickness is then used to model the basal water-pressure and subsequently the basal sliding velocity. In this study, an introduction and preliminary results of the subglacial water flow and basal sliding velocity will be presented for the Pine Island Glacier west Antarctica.This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (MAP) Program.
Testing tree indicator species for classifying site productivity in southern Appalachian hardwood stands
Treesearch
W. Henry McNab; David L. Loftis; R.M. Shefield
2002-01-01
Composite indices of site moisture and fertility regimes, site variables, and individual tree species were tested for their relationship with site productivity on forest survey plots in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Mew annual basal area increment was significantly associated with the fertility index and site
variables including elevation, slope gradient, and...
980nm laser for difficult-to-treat basal cell carcinoma
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Derjabo, A. D.; Cema, I.; Lihacova,
I.; Derjabo, L.
2013-06-01
Begin basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is most common skin cancer over the world. There are around 20 modalities for BCC treatment. Laser surgery is uncommon option. We demonstrate our long term follow up results. Aim: To evaluate long term efficacy of a 980nm diode laser for the difficult-to-treat basal cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: 167 patients with 173 basal cell carcinoma on the
nose were treated with a 980 nm diode laser from May 1999 till May 2005 at Latvian Oncology center. All tumors were morphologically confirmed. 156 patients were followed for more than 5 years. Results: The lowest recurrence rate was observed in cases of superficial BCC, diameter<6mm bet the highest recurrence rate was in cases of infiltrative BCC and nodular recurrent BCC. Conclusions: 980 nm diode laser is useful tool in dermatology with high long term
efficacy, good acceptance by the patients and good cosmetics results.
Lacustrine Basal Ages Constrain the Last Deglaciation in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA
NASA Astrophysics Data System
(ADS)
Munroe, Jeffrey; Laabs, Benjamin
2013-04-01
Basal radiocarbon ages from 21 high-elevation lakes limit the timing of final Pleistocene deglaciation in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, USA. The lakes are located in glacial valleys and cirques 5 to 20 km upstream from LGM terminal moraines at elevations from 2830 to 3475 m. Many are impounded behind recessional moraines. Cores were retrieved from a floating platform with a percussion corer driven to
the point of refusal. All penetrated inorganic silty clay beneath gyttja. AMS radiocarbon analyses were made on terrestrial macrofossils, daphnia ephippia, pollen concentrates, and bulk sediment retrieved from the base of each core. No radiocarbon reservoir effect was observed when bulk dates were checked against terrestrial material. Radiocarbon results were converted to calendar years using the IntCal09 calibration curve in OxCal 4.1. Given the stratigraphy observed in the cores, these
calibrated basal ages are considered close limits on the timing of the local deglaciation and lake formation. The oldest three lakes have basal radiocarbon ages that calibrate to a few centuries after the Bölling/Alleröd warming, indicating that the landscape was becoming ice free at this time. These are followed by an overlapping group of five lakes with basal ages between 13.5 and 13.0 ka BP. Five more cores, from four separate lakes, have
basal ages tightly clustered between 13.0 and 12.5 ka BP. Three of these lakes are dammed by moraines, suggesting glacial activity during the early part of the Younger Dryas interval. The lone kettle lake in the study yielded a basal age of 12.3 ka BP, considerably younger than the basal age of 13.9 ka BP from a nearby lake filling a bedrock basin, indicating that buried ice may have been locally stable for more than a millennium after deglaciation. The
remaining seven lakes have basal ages between 12.0 and 11.0 ka BP. Four of these lakes are also dammed by moraines. These two non-overlapping clusters of basal ages for moraine
Knyihár-Csillik, E; Boncz, I; Sáry, G; Nemcsók, J; Csillik, B
1999-06-01
Meynert's basal nucleus is innervated by calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive axons synapsing with cholinergic principal cells. Origin of CGRP-immunopositive axons was studied in the albino rat. Since beaded axons containing the nicotinic
acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) are also present in the basal nucleus, the microstructural arrangement raises the question whether or not an interaction between CGRP and nAChR exists like in the neuromuscular junction. We found that electrolytic lesion of the parabrachial nucleus results in degeneration of CGRP-immunoreactive axons in the ipsilateral nucleus basalis and induces shrinkage of principal cholinergic neurons while the contralateral nucleus basalis remains intact.
Electrolytic lesions in the thalamus, caudate-putamen, and hippocampus did not induce alterations in Meynert's basal nucleus. Disappearance of CGRP after lesions of the parabrachial nucleus does not impair presynaptic nAChR in the basal nucleus, suggesting that, unlike in the neuromuscular junction, CGRP is not involved in the maintenance of nAChR in the basal forebrain. It is concluded that the parabrachial nucleus is involved in the activation of the
nucleus basalis-prefrontal cortex system, essential in gnostic and mnemonic functions. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast with unusual basal-HER2 phenotype.
To report three cases of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast with an unusual "basal-HER2" phenotype. Clinical data were analyzed. Morphological features were observed. Immunohistochemical study for ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, CK 5/6, CK10/13, CK14, EGFR, P63 and FISH
detection of HER2 gene amplification were performed. Three patients were all female with 26, 57 and 66 years old. The tumors were 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm in size respectively. Morphologically, all three tumors were pure squamous cell carcinoma and entirely composed metaplastic squamous cells. Two tumors were moderately differentiated and one was poorly differentiated. All three patients were positive for P63 or CK10/13. All three tumors exhibited basal-HER2 phenotype: negative for ER
and PR, positive for HER2 protein and HER2 gene amplification, and positive for at least two basal markers. SCC with basal-HER2 phenotype is an extremely rare subset of breast carcinoma. Since it may have worse prognosis than typical basal-like SCC, recognization of this unusual SCC in routine work may have obvious clinical significance.
A new specimen of the Early Cretaceous bird Hongshanornis longicresta: insights into the aerodynamics and diet of a basal ornithuromorph
The discovery of Hongshanornis longicresta, a small ornithuromorph bird with unusually long hindlimb proportions, was followed by the discovery of two closely related species, Longicrusavis houi and Parahongshanornis chaoyangensis. Together forming the Hongshanornithidae, these species reveal important
information about the early diversity and morphological specialization of ornithuromorphs, the clade that contains all living birds. Here we report on a new specimen (DNHM D2945/6) referable to Hongshanornis longicresta that contributes significant information to better understand the morphology, trophic ecology, and aerodynamics of this species, as well as the taxonomy of the Hongshanornithidae. Most notable are the well-preserved wings and feathered tail of DNHM D2945/6, which
afford an accurate reconstruction of aerodynamic parameters indicating that as early as 125 million years ago, basal ornithuromorphs had evolved aerodynamic surfaces comparable in size and design to those of many modern birds, and flight modes alike to those of some small living birds. PMID:24482756
A new specimen of the Early Cretaceous bird Hongshanornis longicresta: insights into the aerodynamics and diet of a basal ornithuromorph.
PubMed
Chiappe, Luis M; Zhao, Bo; O'Connor, Jingmai K; Chunling,
Gao; Wang, Xuri; Habib, Michael; Marugan-Lobon, Jesus; Meng, Qingjin; Cheng, Xiaodong
2014-01-01
The discovery of Hongshanornis longicresta, a small ornithuromorph bird with unusually long hindlimb proportions, was followed by the discovery of two closely related species, Longicrusavis houi and Parahongshanornis chaoyangensis. Together forming the Hongshanornithidae, these species reveal important information about the early diversity and morphological
specialization of ornithuromorphs, the clade that contains all living birds. Here we report on a new specimen (DNHM D2945/6) referable to Hongshanornis longicresta that contributes significant information to better understand the morphology, trophic ecology, and aerodynamics of this species, as well as the taxonomy of the Hongshanornithidae. Most notable are the well-preserved wings and feathered tail of DNHM D2945/6, which afford an accurate reconstruction of aerodynamic parameters
indicating that as early as 125 million years ago, basal ornithuromorphs had evolved aerodynamic surfaces comparable in size and design to those of many modern birds, and flight modes alike to those of some small living birds.
The Evaluation of Basal Respiration for
Various Soil Textures in Ecologically Sensitive Area
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Huličová, P.; Kotorová, D.; Fazekašová, D.; Hynšt, J.
2017-10-01
The present contribution was focused on monitoring changes in the soil basal respiration in different textures of soil in the dry polder Beša. The research was conducted between 2012 and 2014 on soil type Fluvisol
locations on three soil textures: clay - loam soil, clayey soil and clay soil in three soil depths. The basal respiration (BR) has been determine by soil CO2 production measuring from incubated soil samples in serum bottles in laboratory condition. Release Co2 has been analysed by gas chromatography. Content of clay particles were in the range 52.18 % to 81.31%, indicating the high difference between the minimum and maximum content. By using of multiple LSD-test we recorded
statistically significant impact of clay on basal respiration. Results confirm the values of basal respiration with the depth of the soil profile decreased.
Evidence for basal distortion-product otoacoustic emission components.
PubMed
Martin, Glen K; Stagner, Barden B; Lonsbury-Martin, Brenda L
2010-05-01
Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured with traditional DP-grams and level/phase (L/P) maps in rabbits with either normal cochlear function or unique sound-induced cochlear losses that were characterized as either low-frequency or notched configurations. To demonstrate that emission generators
distributed basal to the f(2) primary-tone contribute, in general, to DPOAE levels and phases, a high-frequency interference tone (IT) was presented at 1/3 of an octave (oct) above the f(2) primary-tone, and DPOAEs were re-measured as "augmented" DP-grams (ADP-grams) and L/P maps. The vector difference between the control and augmented functions was then computed to derive residual DP-grams (RDP-grams) and L/P maps. The resulting RDP-grams and L/P maps, which described the DPOAEs
removed by the IT, supported the notion that basal DPOAE components routinely contribute to the generation of standard measures of DPOAEs. Separate experiments demonstrated that these components could not be attributed to the effects of the 1/3-oct IT on f(2), or DPOAEs generated by the addition of a third interfering tone. These basal components can "fill in" the lesion estimated by the commonly employed DP-gram. Thus, ADP-grams more accurately reveal the pattern of
cochlear damage and may eventually lead to an improved DP-gram procedure.
Choosing sides--asymmetric centriole and basal body assembly.
The style morphology and anatomy vary among different species. Three basic types are: open, closed, and semi-closed. Cells involved in the pollen tube pathway in the different types of styles present abundant endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes, mitochondria, and ribosomes. These secretory characteristics are related to the secretion where pollen tube grows. This secretion can be represented by the substances either in the canal or in the intercellular matrix or
in the cell wall. Most studies suggest that pollen tubes only grow through the secretion of the canal in open styles. However, some species present pollen tubes that penetrate the epithelial cells of the canal, or grow through the middle lamella between these cells and subepithelial cells. In species with a closed style, a pathway is provided by the presence of an extracellular matrix, or by the thickened cell walls of the stylar transmitting tissue. There are reports
in some species where pollen tubes can also penetrate the transmitting tissue cells and continue their growth through the cell lumen. In this review, we define subtypes of styles according to the path of the pollen tube. Style types were mapped on an angiosperm phylogenetic tree following the maximum parsimony principle. In line with this, it could be hypothesized that: the open style appeared in the early divergent angiosperms; the closed type of style originated in Asparagales,
Poales, and Eudicots; and the semi-closed style appeared in Rosids, Ericales, and Gentianales. The open style seems to have been lost in core Eudicots, with reversions in some Rosids and Asterids.
Bacterial diversity of oil palm Elaeis guineensis basal
stems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Amran, Afzufira; Jangi, Mohd Sanusi; Aqma, Wan Syaidatul; Yusof, Nurul Yuziana Mohd; Bakar, Mohd Faizal Abu; Isa, Mohd Noor Mat
2016-11-01
Oil palm, Elaeis guineensis is one of the major industrial production crops in Malaysia. Basal stem rot, caused by the white fungus, Ganoderma boninense, is a disease that reduces oil palm
yields in most production areas of the world. Understanding of bacterial community that is associated with Ganoderma infection will shed light on how this bacterial community contributes toward the severity of the infection. In this preliminary study, we assessed the bacterial community that inhabit the basal stems of E. guineensis based on 16S rRNA gene as a marker using next generation sequencing platform. This result showed that a total of 84,372 operational taxonomic-units
(OTUs) were identified within six samples analyzed. A total 55,049 OTUs were assigned to known taxonomy whereas 29,323 were unassigned. Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla found in all six samples and the unique taxonomy assigned for each infected and healthy samples were also identified. The findings from this study will further enhance our knowledge in the interaction of bacterial communities against Ganoderma infection within the oil palm
host plant and for a better management of the basal stems rot disease.
Micrandra inundata (Euphorbiaceae), a new species with unusual wood anatomy from black-water river banks in southern Venezuela
Treesearch
Paul E. Berry; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft
2004-01-01
Micrandra inundata is a distinctive new species adapted to seasonally flooded black-water river banks in southern Venezuela. Trees rarely exceed 10 m in height but have thick basal trunks composed of very lightweight wood. It has the smallest leaves and fruits of any known Micrandra species and appears to be most closely
related to M. minor Benth. The botanical...
Reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations in the basal turn of gerbil and mouse cochleae
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ren,
Tianying; He, Wenxuan
2018-05-01
Low-coherence interferometry in living cochleae has provided valuable information for understanding cochlear micromechanics. A recent measurement of the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations in mouse cochleae, however, is inconsistent with data collected from guinea pig cochleae. To determine whether a species difference accounts for the observed difference, a custom-built heterodyne low-coherence interferometer was used to
measure reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations at the basal turn of sensitive gerbil and mouse cochleae. For the gerbil and mouse, both the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations show sharp tuning and nonlinear compressive growth near the best frequency. The magnitude of the reticular lamina vibration is significantly greater than that of the basilar membrane vibration not only near the best frequency, but also at low frequencies. The phase of the reticular
lamina vibration leads the basilar membrane phase by up to 180-degrees at low frequencies, and this phase lead decreases with frequency, approaching zero near the best frequency. The best frequency of the reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations at the cochlear basal turn in mice is significantly higher than that in gerbils. Besides this difference, cochlear micromechanical responses in the gerbil are similar to those in the mouse. Thus, the current results indicate that
gerbil and mouse cochleae detect and process sounds likely through a similar micromechanical mechanism.
miRNA-135b Contributes to Triple Negative Breast Cancer Molecular Heterogeneity: Different Expression Profile in Basal-like Versus non-Basal-like Phenotypes.
PubMed
Uva, Paolo; Cossu-Rocca, Paolo; Loi, Federica; Pira, Giovanna; Murgia, Luciano; Orrù, Sandra; Floris, Matteo; Muroni, Maria Rosaria; Sanges, Francesca; Carru, Ciriaco; Angius, Andrea; De Miglio, Maria Rosaria
2018-01-01
The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and the lack of unambiguous molecular targets contribute to the inadequacy of current
therapeutic options for these variants. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small highly conserved regulatory endogenous non-coding RNA, which can alter the expression of genes encoding proteins and may play a role in the dysregulation of cellular pathways. Our goal was to improve the knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of TNBC subgroups analyzing the miRNA expression profile, and to identify new prognostic and predictive biomarkers. We conducted a human miRNome analysis by TaqMan Low Density
Array comparing different TNBC subtypes, defined by immunohistochemical basal markers EGFR and CK5/6. RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression of microRNAs. To inspect the function of the selected targets we perform Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis. We identified a single miRNA signature given by miR-135b expression level, which was strictly related to TNBC with basal-like phenotype. miR-135b target analysis revealed a role in the TGF-beta, WNT and ERBB
pathways. A significant positive correlation was identified between neoplastic proliferative index and miR-135b expression. These findings confirm the oncogenic roles of miR-135b in the pathogenesis of TNBC expressing basal markers. A potential negative prognostic role of miR-135b overexpression might be related to the positive correlation with high proliferative index. Our study implies potential clinical applications: miR-135b could be a potential therapeutic target in
basal-like TNBCs.
miRNA-135b Contributes to Triple Negative Breast Cancer Molecular Heterogeneity: Different Expression Profile in Basal-like Versus non-Basal-like Phenotypes
PubMed Central
Uva, Paolo; Cossu-Rocca, Paolo; Loi, Federica; Pira, Giovanna; Murgia, Luciano; Orrù, Sandra; Floris, Matteo; Muroni, Maria Rosaria; Sanges, Francesca; Carru, Ciriaco; Angius, Andrea; De Miglio, Maria Rosaria
2018-01-01
The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and the lack of unambiguous molecular targets contribute to the inadequacy of current
therapeutic options for these variants. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small highly conserved regulatory endogenous non-coding RNA, which can alter the expression of genes encoding proteins and may play a role in the dysregulation of cellular pathways. Our goal was to improve the knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of TNBC subgroups analyzing the miRNA expression profile, and to identify new prognostic and predictive biomarkers. We conducted a human miRNome analysis by TaqMan Low Density
Array comparing different TNBC subtypes, defined by immunohistochemical basal markers EGFR and CK5/6. RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression of microRNAs. To inspect the function of the selected targets we perform Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis. We identified a single miRNA signature given by miR-135b expression level, which was strictly related to TNBC with basal-like phenotype. miR-135b target analysis revealed a role in the TGF-beta, WNT and ERBB
pathways. A significant positive correlation was identified between neoplastic proliferative index and miR-135b expression. These findings confirm the oncogenic roles of miR-135b in the pathogenesis of TNBC expressing basal markers. A potential negative prognostic role of miR-135b overexpression might be related to the positive correlation with high proliferative index. Our study implies potential clinical applications: miR-135b could be a potential therapeutic target in
basal-like TNBCs. PMID:29725243
Species composition and structure of regenerated and remnant forest patches within an urban landscape
Treesearch
Wayne C. Zipperer
2002-01-01
Regenerated
and remnant forest patches were inventoried in Syracuse, New York, USA to determine differences in structure, species composition, human disturbances, and landscape context. Patches had similar mean stem diameter, total stem density, and total basal areas, but differed with respect to diameter distribution, disturbance regime, landscape context, and...
A New Species of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) (Diptera: Simuliidae) From Kalimantan, Indonesia, With Keys to Identify 19 Bornean Species of the Subgenus Gomphostilbia.
Kiran, N. K.; Tilak Raj, T. N.; Mukunda, K. S.; Rajashekar Reddy, V.
2012-01-01
The Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, also known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), is an infrequent multisystemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal way, which shows a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. It is characterized by
odontogenic keratocysts in the jaw, multiple basal cell nevi carcinomas and skeletal abnormalities. This syndrome may be diagnosed early by a dentist by routine radiographic exams in the first decade of life, since the odontogenic keratocysts are usually one of the first manifestations of the syndrome. This case report presents a patient diagnosed as NBCCS by clinical, radiographic and histological findings in a 13-year-old boy. This paper highlights the importance of early
diagnosis of NBCCS which can help in preventive multidisciplinary approach to provide a better prognosis for the patient. PMID:23633824
Kiran, N K; Tilak Raj, T N; Mukunda, K S; Rajashekar Reddy, V
2012-10-01
The Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, also known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), is an infrequent multisystemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal way, which shows a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. It is characterized by odontogenic keratocysts in the jaw, multiple
basal cell nevi carcinomas and skeletal abnormalities. This syndrome may be diagnosed early by a dentist by routine radiographic exams in the first decade of life, since the odontogenic keratocysts are usually one of the first manifestations of the syndrome. This case report presents a patient diagnosed as NBCCS by clinical, radiographic and histological findings in a 13-year-old boy. This paper highlights the importance of early diagnosis of NBCCS which can help in preventive
multidisciplinary approach to provide a better prognosis for the patient.
Differentiation of a Highly Tumorigenic Basal Cell Compartment in Urothelial Carcinoma
PubMed Central
He, Xiaobing; Marchionni, Luigi; Hansel, Donna E.; Yu, Wayne; Sood, Akshay; Yang, Jie; Parmigiani, Giovanni; Matsui, William; Berman, David M.
2011-01-01
Highly tumorigenic cancer cell (HTC) populations have been identified for a variety of solid tumors and assigned stem cell properties. Strategies for identifying HTCs in solid tumors have been primarily empirical rather than
rational, particularly in epithelial tumors, which are responsible for 80% of cancer deaths. We report evidence for a spatially restricted bladder epithelial (urothelial) differentiation program in primary urothelial cancers (UCs) and in UC xenografts. We identified a highly tumorigenic UC cell compartment that resembles benign urothelial stem cells (basal cells), co-expresses the 67-kDa laminin receptor and the basal cell-specific cytokeratin CK17, and lacks the
carcinoembryonic antigen family member CEACAM6 (CD66c). This multipotent compartment resides at the tumor-stroma interface, is easily identified on histologic sections, and possesses most, if not all, of the engraftable tumor-forming ability in the parental xenograft. We analyzed differential expression of genes and pathways in basal-like cells versus more differentiated cells. Among these, we found significant enrichment of pathways comprising “hallmarks” of cancer, and
pharmacologically targetable signaling pathways, including Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription, Notch, focal adhesion, mammalian target of rapamycin, epidermal growth factor receptor (erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog [ErbB]), and wingless-type MMTV integration site family (Wnt). The basal/HTC gene expression signature was essentially invisible within the context of nontumorigenic cell gene expression and overlapped significantly with genes
driving progression and death in primary human UC. The spatially restricted epithelial differentiation program described here represents a conceptual advance in understanding cellular heterogeneity of carcinomas and identifies basal-like HTCs as attractive targets for cancer therapy. PMID:19544456
Description of two new Capnia species (Plecoptera: Capniidae) from the Hengduan Mountains of southwestern China.
PubMed
Chen, Zhi-Teng; DU, Yu-Zhou
2017-06-07
Two new
species of the genus Capnia from the Hengduan Mountains of southwestern China, C. oblata sp. nov. and C. xiei sp. nov. are described and illustrated as new members of the C. cordata Kimmins species group. Capnia oblata sp. nov. is characterized by posteromedial process of tergum 9 connecting antecosta with the medial sclerite bar. Capnia xiei sp. nov. is characterized by main epiproct sclerite bifurcate apically and basally with a bilamellar structure. The
new species are compared with similar taxa.
New Basal Iguanodonts from the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah and the Evolution of Thumb-Spiked Dinosaurs
PubMed Central
McDonald, Andrew T.; Kirkland, James I.; DeBlieux, Donald D.; Madsen, Scott K.; Cavin, Jennifer; Milner, Andrew R. C.; Panzarin, Lukas
2010-01-01
Background Basal iguanodontian dinosaurs were extremely successful animals, found in great abundance and diversity almost worldwide during the Early Cretaceous. In contrast to Europe and Asia, the North American record of Early
Cretaceous basal iguanodonts has until recently been limited largely to skulls and skeletons of Tenontosaurus tilletti. Methodology/Principal Findings Herein we describe two new basal iguanodonts from the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation of eastern Utah, each known from a partial skull and skeleton. Iguanacolossus fortis gen. et sp. nov. and Hippodraco scutodens gen. et sp. nov. are each diagnosed by a single autapomorphy and a unique combination of
characters. Conclusions/Significance Iguanacolossus and Hippodraco add greatly to our knowledge of North American basal iguanodonts and prompt a new comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of basal iguanodont relationships. This analysis indicates that North American Early Cretaceous basal iguanodonts are more basal than their contemporaries in Europe and Asia. PMID:21124919
TEMPORAL VARIABILITY IN BASAL ISOPRENE
EMISSION FACTOR
EPA Science Inventory
Seasonal variability in basal isoprene emission factor (micrograms C /g hr or nmol/ m2 sec, leaf temperature at 30 degrees C and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at 1000 micromol/ m2 sec) was studied during the 1998 growing season at Duke Forest in the North Carolina Pie...
The cholinergic basal forebrain in the ferret and its inputs to the auditory cortex
PubMed Central
Bajo, Victoria M; Leach, Nicholas D;
Cordery, Patricia M; Nodal, Fernando R; King, Andrew J
2014-01-01
Cholinergic inputs to the auditory cortex can modulate sensory processing and regulate stimulus-specific plasticity according to the behavioural state of the subject. In order to understand how acetylcholine achieves this, it is essential to elucidate the circuitry by which cholinergic inputs influence the cortex. In this study, we described the distribution of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain
and their inputs to the auditory cortex of the ferret, a species used increasingly in studies of auditory learning and plasticity. Cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, visualized by choline acetyltransferase and p75 neurotrophin receptor immunocytochemistry, were distributed through the medial septum, diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Epipial tracer deposits and injections of the immunotoxin ME20.4-SAP (monoclonal antibody specific for
the p75 neurotrophin receptor conjugated to saporin) in the auditory cortex showed that cholinergic inputs originate almost exclusively in the ipsilateral nucleus basalis. Moreover, tracer injections in the nucleus basalis revealed a pattern of labelled fibres and terminal fields that resembled acetylcholinesterase fibre staining in the auditory cortex, with the heaviest labelling in layers II/III and in the infragranular layers. Labelled fibres with small en-passant varicosities and simple
terminal swellings were observed throughout all auditory cortical regions. The widespread distribution of cholinergic inputs from the nucleus basalis to both primary and higher level areas of the auditory cortex suggests that acetylcholine is likely to be involved in modulating many aspects of auditory processing. PMID:24945075
Suspension and optical properties of the crystalline lens in the eyes of basal vertebrates.
PubMed
Kröger, Ronald H H; Gustafsson, Ola S E; Tuminaite, Inga
Targeting IKK in Basal-Like Breast Tumors as a Therapeutic Approach
DTIC Science & Technology
2010-06-01
promote oncogenesis and which lead to resistance to therapy . Additionally, we hypothesize that these tumors will respond
to inhibitors of this pathway...that is found upregulated in basal-like breast cancer) are key determinants of cancer therapy resistance in certain breast tumors. In a new direction...is active in both t ypes of breast cancer. We have begun the pro posed therapy studies in the model for basal-like cancer, using an IKK inhibitor
Centrioles to basal bodies in the spermiogenesis of Mastotermes darwiniensis (Insecta, Isoptera).
PubMed
Riparbelli, Maria Giovanna; Callaini, Giuliano; Mercati, David; Hertel, Horst; Dallai, Romano
2009-05-01
In addition to their role in centrosome organization, the centrioles have another distinct function as basal bodies for the formation of cilia and flagella. Centriole duplication has been reported to require two alternate assembly pathways: template or de novo. Since spermiogenesis in the termite Mastotermes darwiniensis lead to the formation of multiflagellate sperm, this process represents a useful model system in which to follow basal body
formation and flagella assembly. We present evidence of a possible de novo pathway for basal body formation in the differentiating germ cell. This cell also contains typical centrosomal proteins, such as centrosomin, pericentrin-like protein, gamma-tubulin, that undergo redistribution as spermatid differentiation proceeds. The spermatid centrioles are long structures formed by nine doublet rather than triplet microtubules provided with short projections extending towards the
surrounding cytoplasm and with links between doublets. The sperm basal bodies are aligned in parallel beneath the nucleus. They consist of long regions close to the nucleus showing nine doublets in a cartwheel array devoid of any projections; on the contrary, the short region close to the plasma membrane, where the sperm flagella emerge, is characterized by projections similar to those observed in the centrioles linking the basal body to the plasma membrane. It is
hypothesized that this appearance is in connection with the centriole elongation and further with the flagellar axonemal organization. Microtubule doublets of sperm flagellar axonemes are provided with outer dynein arms, while inner arms are rarely visible. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dissociating
basal forebrain and medial temporal amnesic syndromes: insights from classical conditioning.
PubMed
Myer, Catherine E; Bryant, Deborah; DeLuca, John; Gluck, Mark A
2002-01-01
In humans, anterograde amnesia can result from damage to the medial temporal (MT) lobes (including hippocampus), as well as to other brain areas such as basal forebrain. Results
from animal classical conditioning studies suggest that there may be qualitative differences in the memory impairment following MT vs. basal forebrain damage. Specifically, delay eyeblink conditioning is spared after MT damage in animals and humans, but impaired in animals with basal forebrain damage. Recently, we have likewise shown delay eyeblink conditioning impairment in humans with amnesia following anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm rupture, which
damages the basal forebrain. Another associative learning task, a computer-based concurrent visual discrimination, also appears to be spared in MT amnesia while ACoA amnesics are slower to learn the discriminations. Conversely, animal and computational models suggest that, even though MT amnesics may learn quickly, they may learn qualitatively differently from controls, and these differences may result in impaired transfer when familiar information is presented in novel
combinations. Our initial data suggests such a two-phase learning and transfer task may provide a double dissociation between MT amnesics (spared initial learning but impaired transfer) and ACoA amnesics (slow initial learning but spared transfer). Together, these emerging data suggest that there are subtle but dissociable differences in the amnesic syndrome following damage to the MT lobes vs. basal forebrain, and that these differences may be most visible in non-declarative tasks
such as eyeblink classical conditioning and simple associative learning.
Variability among Cucurbitaceae species (melon, cucumber and watermelon) in a genomic region containing a cluster of NBS-LRR genes.
PubMed
Morata, Jordi; Puigdomènech, Pere
2017-02-08
Cucurbitaceae species contain a significantly lower number of genes coding for proteins with similarity to plant resistance genes belonging to the NBS-LRR family than other plant species of similar genome size. A large proportion of these genes are organized in clusters that appear to be hotspots of variability. The
genomes of the Cucurbitaceae species measured until now are intermediate in size (between 350 and 450 Mb) and they apparently have not undergone any genome duplications beside those at the origin of eudicots. The cluster containing the largest number of NBS-LRR genes has previously been analyzed in melon and related species and showed a high degree of interspecific and intraspecific variability. It was of interest to study whether similar behavior
occurred in other cluster of the same family of genes. The cluster of NBS-LRR genes located in melon chromosome 9 was analyzed and compared with the syntenic regions in other cucurbit genomes. This is the second cluster in number within this species and it contains nine sequences with a NBS-LRR annotation including two genes, Fom1 and Prv, providing resistance against Fusarium and Ppapaya ring-spot virus (PRSV). The variability within the melon species appears to
consist essentially of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Clusters of similar genes are present in the syntenic regions of the two species of Cucurbitaceae that were sequenced, cucumber and watermelon. Most of the genes in the syntenic clusters can be aligned between species and a hypothesis of generation of the cluster is proposed. The number of genes in the watermelon cluster is similar to that in melon while a higher number of genes (12) is present in cucumber, a
species with a smaller genome than melon. After comparing genome resequencing data of 115 cucumber varieties, deletion of a group of genes is observed in a group of varieties of Indian origin. Clusters of genes coding for NBS-LRR proteins in cucurbits appear to have specific variability in
Diversification of Genes Encoding Granule-Bound Starch Synthase in Monocots and Dicots Is Marked by Multiple Genome-Wide Duplication Events
Starch is one of the major components of cereals, tubers, and fruits. Genes encoding granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS), which is responsible for amylose synthesis, have been extensively studied in cereals but little is known about them in fruits. Due to their low copy gene number, GBSS genes have been used to
study plant phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships. In this study, GBSS genes have been isolated and characterized in three fruit trees, including apple, peach, and orange. Moreover, a comprehensive evolutionary study of GBSS genes has also been conducted between both monocots and eudicots. Results have revealed that genomic structures of GBSS genes in plants are conserved, suggesting they all have evolved from a common ancestor. In addition, the GBSS gene in an ancestral
angiosperm must have undergone genome duplication ∼251 million years ago (MYA) to generate two families, GBSSI and GBSSII. Both GBSSI and GBSSII are found in monocots; however, GBSSI is absent in eudicots. The ancestral GBSSII must have undergone further divergence when monocots and eudicots split ∼165 MYA. This is consistent with expression profiles of GBSS genes, wherein these profiles are more similar to those of GBSSII in eudicots than to those of GBSSI
genes in monocots. In dicots, GBSSII must have undergone further divergence when rosids and asterids split from each other ∼126 MYA. Taken together, these findings suggest that it is GBSSII rather than GBSSI of monocots that have orthologous relationships with GBSS genes of eudicots. Moreover, diversification of GBSS genes is mainly associated with genome-wide duplication events throughout the evolutionary course of history of monocots and eudicots. PMID:22291904
Influence of montmorillonites exchange capacity on the basal spacing of cation–anion
organo-montmorillonites
SciTech Connect
Sanqin, Wu; Zepeng, Zhang, E-mail: ; Yunhua, Wang
Graphical abstract: This picture shows the distribution of organic modifier (CTAB and SDS) in Mt interlayer and the basal spacing changes of Mt modified by CTAB and SDS. Organic modifier molecule in Mt interlayer is more and more orderly. The basal spacing of Mt is from 1.5 nm to 5 nm as modifier added. -
Highlights: • The d{sub 001} of Ca-Mt, R-Na-Mt, Na-Mt modified by CTAB and SDS can reach 5 nm. • It is easier to get cation–anion OMt with greater d{sub 001} if CEC is lower. • The organic molecules distribution in cation–anion OMt was analyzed. •more » The influence mechanism of Ca-Mt CEC on the d{sub 001} was discussed. - Abstract: With cationic and anionic surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecylsulfonate (SDS) as modifiers, Ca-montmorillonites (Ca-Mt),
artificial Na-montmorillonites (R-Na-Mt) and natural Na-montmorillonites (Na-Mt) with different cation exchange capacity (CEC) were modified by solution intercalation method, respectively. Then cation–anion organo-montmorillonites (OMt) were prepared. The influence of CEC on the basal spacing of cation–anion OMt and the influence mechanism were discussed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and zeta potential testing. The results indicate that the basal spacing of cation–anion
OMt is related to CEC. For the same type montmorillonites, the basal spacing of cation–anion OMt decreases with the increase of CEC and it is easier to get cation–anion OMt with greater basal spacing when CEC is lower. Moreover, the CEC of Na-Mt has the greatest influence on the basal spacing of cation–anion OMt.« less
A New Look: Basals of the Nineties.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gieniec, Colleen; Westerholt, Sheri
A study determined whether basal series published in 1993 are consistent with research on literacy development which indicates that children need authentic text
that is full-length, unedited and connects content to the reading experience. Pupil editions, teacher's manuals, lesson structure, skills taught, the amount of skill work compared to…
Do temperate tree species diversity and identity influence soil microbial community function and
composition?
PubMed
Khlifa, Rim; Paquette, Alain; Messier, Christian; Reich, Peter B; Munson, Alison D
2017-10-01
Studies of biodiversity-ecosystem function in treed ecosystems have generally focused on aboveground functions. This study investigates intertrophic links between tree diversity and soil microbial community function and composition. We examined how microbial
communities in surface mineral soil responded to experimental gradients of tree species richness (SR), functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean trait value (CWM), and tree identity. The site was a 4-year-old common garden experiment near Montreal, Canada, consisting of deciduous and evergreen tree species mixtures. Microbial community composition, community-level physiological profiles, and respiration were evaluated using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA)
analysis and the MicroResp ™ system, respectively. The relationship between tree species richness and glucose-induced respiration (GIR), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO 2 ) followed a positive but saturating shape. Microbial communities associated with species mixtures were more active (basal respiration [BR]), with higher biomass (glucose-induced respiration [GIR]), and used a greater number of carbon sources than monocultures.
Communities associated with deciduous tree species used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with evergreen species, suggesting a greater soil carbon storage capacity. There were no differences in microbial composition (PLFA) between monocultures and SR mixtures. The FD and the CWM of several functional traits affected both BR and GIR. In general, the CWM of traits had stronger effects than did FD, suggesting that certain traits of dominant
species have more effect on ecosystem processes than does FD. Both the functions of GIR and BR were positively related to aboveground tree community productivity. Both tree diversity (SR) and identity (species and functional identity-leaf habit) affected soil microbial community respiration, biomass, and composition. For the first time, we identified
Tree species and size structure of old-growth Douglas-fir forests in central western Oregon, USA
USGS Publications Warehouse
Poage, Nathan; Tappeiner, J. C.
2005-01-01
We characterized the structure of 91 old-growth forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), using
inventory data from recent (1985a??1991) old-growth timber sales in western Oregon. The data were complete counts (i.e., censuses) of all live trees >20 cm diameter at breast height (dbh, measured at 1.4 m above the ground) over a mean area of 17.1 ha at each site. Across all sites, Douglas-fir accounted for 79% of the total basal area (m2/ha) of all species. The average density of trees >100 cm dbh was 19 trees/ha and 90% of these trees were Douglas-fir.
Species other than Douglas-fir constituted only about 20% of the total basal area at each old-growth site, on average, but largely accounted for the structural variation between sites. We used multivariate techniques such as cluster analysis, indicator species analysis, and ordination with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) to identify and characterize six structural groups in terms of basal area in different speciesa??diameter classes.
Almost 97% of the structural information was captured by the first (r2 = 0.841) and second (r2 = 0.128) NMS ordination axis. Geographic information systems (GIS) analysis and NMS indicated that the structural differences among groups of sites were associated with moisture, temperature, and elevation gradients within the study area. This type of analysis can be used to help define differences among old-growth forests and to set local structural goals for growing forests with old-growth
characteristics.
Evaluation of surgical margins according to the histological type of basal cell carcinoma.
PubMed
Godoy, Charles Antonio Pires de; Neta, Alice Lima de Oliveira; Leão,
Sofia Silveira de Souza; Dantas, Raul Lima; Carvalho, Valeska Oliveira Fonseca; Silva, Samuel Freire da
2017-01-01
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical margin of basal cell carcinoma and correlate this with its histologic subtype. A retrospective analysis of pathology laboratory records from 1990 to 2000 was performed and the following data was collected: age, sex, race,
anatomical location, histological type, and state of the excision margins in 1,428 histopathological reports of basal cell carcinoma. Ages ranged from 6 to 99 years, with an average of 57. There was a slight predominance of lesions in white women patients, and the most common histological subtype was the nodular, followed by the superficial. The most common locations were in the head and neck, with highest prevalence appeared in the nose. Surgical margins revealed a lateral
involvement of 20.14% and a deep involvement of 12.47%. The fibrosing basal cell carcinoma is the histological type that most often presented positive surgical margins.
Giant basal cell carcinoma of the face: surgical management and challenges for reconstruction.
PubMed
Maimaiti, A; Mijiti, A; Yarbag, A; Moming, A
2016-02-01
Giant basal cell carcinoma, in which the tumour measures 5 cm or greater in diameter, is a very rare skin malignancy that accounts for less than 1 per cent of all basal cell tumours. Very few studies have reported on the incidence, resection and reconstruction of this lesion worldwide. In total, 17 patients
with giant basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck region underwent surgical excision and reconstruction at our hospital. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed and analysed. The lesion was usually in the forehead, eyelid, lips or nasal-cheek region. The greatest diameter ranged from 5 to 11 cm, with 5-6 cm being the most common size at the time of presentation. All patients had their tumour resected and reconstructed in a single-stage procedure, mostly with a local
advancement flap, and with no post-operative flap failure. Giant basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck can be successfully treated with a local flap in a single-stage approach.
The effect of glycogen phosphorolysis on basal glutaminergic transmission.
Repair of tracheal epithelium by basal cells after chlorine-induced injury
PubMed Central
2012-01-01
Background Chlorine is a widely used toxic compound that is considered a chemical threat agent. Chlorine inhalation injures airway epithelial cells, leading to pulmonary abnormalities. Efficient repair of injured epithelium is necessary to restore normal lung structure and function. The objective of the current study was to characterize repair of the tracheal epithelium after acute chlorine injury. Methods C57BL/6 mice were exposed to chlorine and injected with 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine
(EdU) to label proliferating cells prior to sacrifice and collection of tracheas on days 2, 4, 7, and 10 after exposure. Airway repair and restoration of a differentiated epithelium were examined by co-localization of EdU labeling with markers for the three major tracheal epithelial cell types [keratin 5 (K5) and keratin 14 (K14) for basal cells, Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) for Clara cells, and acetylated tubulin (AcTub) for ciliated cells]. Morphometric analysis was used to
measure proliferation and restoration of a pseudostratified epithelium. Results Epithelial repair was fastest and most extensive in proximal trachea compared with middle and distal trachea. In unexposed mice, cell proliferation was minimal, all basal cells expressed K5, and K14-expressing basal cells were absent from most sections. Chlorine exposure resulted in the sloughing of Clara and ciliated cells from the tracheal epithelium. Two to four days after chlorine
exposure, cell proliferation occurred in K5- and K14-expressing basal cells, and the number of K14 cells was dramatically increased. In the period of peak cell proliferation, few if any ciliated or Clara cells were detected in repairing trachea. Expression of ciliated and Clara cell markers was detected at later times (days 7–10), but cell proliferation was not detected in areas in which these differentiated markers were re-expressed. Fibrotic lesions were observed at days 7–10
primarily in distal trachea. Conclusion The data are
Evaluation of the long-term cost-effectiveness of IDegLira versus liraglutide added to basal insulin for patients with type 2 diabetes failing to achieve glycemic control on basal insulin in the USA.
PubMed
Hunt, B; Mocarski, M; Valentine, W J; Langer, J
2017-07-01
IDegLira, a fixed ratio combination of insulin degludec and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, utilizes the complementary mechanisms of action of these two agents to improve glycemic control with low risk of hypoglycemia and avoidance of weight gain. The aim of the present analysis was to assess the long-term
cost-effectiveness of IDegLira vs liraglutide added to basal insulin, for patients with type 2 diabetes not achieving glycemic control on basal insulin in the US setting. Projections of lifetime costs and clinical outcomes were made using the IMS CORE Diabetes Model. Treatment effect data for patients receiving IDegLira and liraglutide added to basal insulin were modeled based on the outcomes of a published indirect comparison, as no head-to-head clinical
trial data is currently available. Costs were accounted in 2015 US dollars ($) from a healthcare payer perspective. IDegLira was associated with small improvements in quality-adjusted life expectancy compared with liraglutide added to basal insulin (8.94 vs 8.91 discounted quality-adjusted life years [QALYs]). The key driver of improved clinical outcomes was the greater reduction in glycated hemoglobin associated with IDegLira. IDegLira was associated with mean costs savings of
$17,687 over patient lifetimes vs liraglutide added to basal insulin, resulting from lower treatment costs and cost savings as a result of complications avoided. The present long-term modeling analysis found that IDegLira was dominant vs liraglutide added to basal insulin for patients with type 2 diabetes failing to achieve glycemic control on basal insulin in the US, improving clinical outcomes and reducing direct costs.
Adding prandial GLP-1 receptor agonists to basal insulin: a promising option for type 2 diabetes therapy.
PubMed
Goldenberg, Ronald M; Berard, Lori
2018-01-01
Diabetes mellitus is a serious and increasingly
prevalent condition in Canada and around the world. Treatment strategies have become increasingly complex, with a widening array of pharmacological agents available for glycemic management in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). New therapies that act in concert with available basal insulins may represent alternatives to basal insulin intensification with prandial or pre-mixed insulin. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have recently shown promise as
useful additions to basal insulin, with significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin and potentially beneficial effects on body weight. This review will focus on pivotal clinical trials to assess the potential benefits of adding prandial GLP-1 RAs to basal insulin in patients with T2DM. Clinical studies combining prandial GLP-1 RAs and basal insulin (published between 2011 and July 2017) were identified and reviewed in PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register
of Clinical Trials (Issue 6, June 2017), and clinicaltrials.gov. Most of the studies presented in this review show that the addition of a prandial GLP-1 RA to basal insulin results in equal or slightly superior efficacy compared to the addition of prandial insulin, together with weight loss and less hypoglycemia. The results of the studies suggest that a prandial GLP-1 RA as an add-on to basal insulin may be a safe and effective treatment intensification option (vs
basal-plus or basal-bolus insulin).
Loss of Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Tumorigenesis of Basal Breast Cancer
Dickkopf 3 (DKK3) has been associated with tumor suppression of various tumor entities including breast cancer. However, the functional impact of DKK3 on the tumorigenesis of distinct molecular
breast cancer subtypes has not been considered so far. Therefore, we initiated a study analyzing the subtype-specific DKK3 expression pattern as well as its prognostic and functional impact with respect to breast cancer subtypes. Based on three independent tissue cohorts including one in silico dataset (n = 30, n = 463 and n = 791) we observed a clear down-regulation of DKK3 expression in breast cancer samples compared to healthy breast tissue controls on mRNA and protein level. Interestingly,
most abundant reduction of DKK3 expression was detected in the highly aggressive basal breast cancer subtype. Analyzing a large in silico dataset comprising 3,554 cases showed that low DKK3 mRNA expression was significantly associated with reduced recurrence free survival (RFS) of luminal and basal-like breast cancer cases. Functionally, DKK3 re-expression in human breast cancer cell lines led to suppression of cell growth possibly mediated by up-regulation of apoptosis
in basal-like but not in luminal-like breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, ectopic DKK3 expression in mesenchymal basal breast cancer cells resulted in partial restoration of epithelial cell morphology which was molecularly supported by higher expression of epithelial markers like E-Cadherin and down-regulation of mesenchymal markers such as Snail 1. Hence, we provide evidence that down-regulation of DKK3 especially promotes tumorigenesis of the aggressive
basal breast cancer subtype. Further studies decoding the underlying molecular mechanisms of DKK3-mediated effects may help to identify novel targeted therapies for this clinically highly relevant breast cancer subtype. PMID:27467270
Localization of Basal Ganglia and Thalamic
Damage in Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy.
PubMed
Aravamuthan, Bhooma R; Waugh, Jeff L
2016-01-01
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy affects 15%-20% of patients with cerebral palsy. Basal ganglia injury is associated with dyskinetic cerebral palsy, but the patterns of injury within the basal ganglia predisposing to dyskinetic cerebral palsy are unknown, making
treatment difficult. For example, deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus interna improves dystonia in only 40% of patients with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Basal ganglia injury heterogeneity may explain this variability. To investigate this, we conducted a qualitative systematic review of basal ganglia and thalamic damage in dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Reviews and articles primarily addressing genetic or toxic causes of cerebral palsy were excluded yielding 22
studies (304 subjects). Thirteen studies specified the involved basal ganglia nuclei (subthalamic nucleus, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, or lentiform nuclei, comprised by the putamen and globus pallidus). Studies investigating the lentiform nuclei (without distinguishing between the putamen and globus pallidus) showed that all subjects (19 of 19) had lentiform nuclei damage. Studies simultaneously but independently investigating the putamen and globus pallidus also showed that
all subjects (35 of 35) had lentiform nuclei damage (i.e., putamen or globus pallidus damage); this was followed in frequency by damage to the putamen alone (70 of 101, 69%), the subthalamic nucleus (17 of 25, 68%), the thalamus (88 of 142, 62%), the globus pallidus (7/35, 20%), and the caudate (6 of 47, 13%). Globus pallidus damage was almost always coincident with putaminal damage. Noting consistent involvement of the lentiform nuclei in dyskinetic cerebral palsy, these results could suggest
two groups of patients with dyskinetic cerebral palsy: those with putamen-predominant damage and those with panlenticular damage involving both the putamen and the globus pallidus. Differentiating between these groups could help predict response to therapies such as deep brain
Transitional
basal cells at the squamous-columnar junction generate Barrett's oesophagus.
In several organ systems, the transitional zone between different types of epithelium is a hotspot for pre-neoplastic metaplasia and malignancy, but the cells of origin for these metaplastic epithelia and subsequent malignancies remain unknown. In the case of Barrett's oesophagus, intestinal metaplasia occurs at the gastro-oesophageal junction, where stratified squamous epithelium transitions into
simple columnar cells. On the basis of a number of experimental models, several alternative cell types have been proposed as the source of this metaplasia but in all cases the evidence is inconclusive: no model completely mimics Barrett's oesophagus in terms of the presence of intestinal goblet cells. Here we describe a transitional columnar epithelium with distinct basal progenitor cells (p63 + KRT5 + KRT7 + ) at the squamous-columnar junction of the upper gastrointestinal tract in
a mouse model. We use multiple models and lineage tracing strategies to show that this squamous-columnar junction basal cell population serves as a source of progenitors for the transitional epithelium. On ectopic expression of CDX2, these transitional basal progenitors differentiate into intestinal-like epithelium (including goblet cells) and thereby reproduce Barrett's metaplasia. A similar transitional columnar epithelium is present at the transitional zones of other
mouse tissues (including the anorectal junction) as well as in the gastro-oesophageal junction in the human gut. Acid reflux-induced oesophagitis and the multilayered epithelium (believed to be a precursor of Barrett's oesophagus) are both characterized by the expansion of the transitional basal progenitor cells. Our findings reveal a previously unidentified transitional zone in the epithelium of the upper gastrointestinal tract and provide evidence that the p63 + KRT5 + KRT7 +
basal cells in this zone are the cells of origin for multi-layered epithelium and Barrett's oesophagus.
Abundant Occurrence of Basal Radial Glia in the Subventricular Zone of Embryonic Neocortex of a
Lissencephalic Primate, the Common Marmoset Callithrix jacchus
Subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors are a hallmark of the developing neocortex. Recent
studies described a novel type of SVZ progenitor that retains a basal process at mitosis, sustains expression of radial glial markers, and is capable of self-renewal. These progenitors, referred to here as basal radial glia (bRG), occur at high relative abundance in the SVZ of gyrencephalic primates (human) and nonprimates (ferret) but not lissencephalic rodents (mouse). Here, we analyzed the occurrence of bRG cells in the embryonic neocortex of the common marmoset
Callithrix jacchus, a near-lissencephalic primate. bRG cells, expressing Pax6, Sox2 (but not Tbr2), glutamate aspartate transporter, and glial fibrillary acidic protein and retaining a basal process at mitosis, occur at similar relative abundance in the marmoset SVZ as in human and ferret. The proportion of progenitors in M-phase was lower in embryonic marmoset than developing ferret neocortex, raising the possibility of a longer cell cycle. Fitting the gyrification indices of 26
anthropoid species to an evolutionary model suggested that the marmoset evolved from a gyrencephalic ancestor. Our results suggest that a high relative abundance of bRG cells may be necessary, but is not sufficient, for gyrencephaly and that the marmoset's lissencephaly evolved secondarily by changing progenitor parameters other than progenitor type. PMID:22114084
Relation of biomass to basal area and site index on an Appalachian watershed
Treesearch
Harry V., Jr. Wiant; Robert Knight; John E. Baumgras
1984-01-01
The biomass of 50-year-old cove hardwood and upland oak
stands on an Appalachian watershed was more strongly related to basal area than to site index. Equations are presented for predicting the green and dry weight per acre of biomass components with basal area as the independent variable.
Stem cell and neurogenic gene-expression profiles link prostate basal cells to aggressive prostate cancer
The prostate gland mainly contains basal and luminal cells constructed as a pseudostratified epithelium. Annotation of prostate epithelial transcriptomes provides a foundation for discoveries that can impact disease understanding and treatment. Here
we describe a genome-wide transcriptome analysis of human benign prostatic basal and luminal epithelial populations using deep RNA sequencing. Through molecular and biological characterizations, we show that the differential gene-expression profiles account for their distinct functional properties. Strikingly, basal cells preferentially express gene categories associated with stem cells, neurogenesis and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) biogenesis. Consistent with this profile,
basal cells functionally exhibit intrinsic stem-like and neurogenic properties with enhanced rRNA transcription activity. Of clinical relevance, the basal cell gene-expression profile is enriched in advanced, anaplastic, castration-resistant and metastatic prostate cancers. Therefore, we link the cell-type-specific gene signatures to aggressive subtypes of prostate cancer and identify gene signatures associated with adverse clinical features. PMID:26924072
Stem cell and neurogenic gene-expression profiles link prostate basal cells to aggressive prostate cancer.
The prostate gland mainly contains basal and luminal cells constructed as a pseudostratified epithelium. Annotation of prostate epithelial transcriptomes provides a foundation for discoveries that can impact disease understanding and treatment. Here we describe a genome-wide transcriptome analysis of human benign prostatic
basal and luminal epithelial populations using deep RNA sequencing. Through molecular and biological characterizations, we show that the differential gene-expression profiles account for their distinct functional properties. Strikingly, basal cells preferentially express gene categories associated with stem cells, neurogenesis and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) biogenesis. Consistent with this profile, basal cells functionally exhibit intrinsic stem-like and
neurogenic properties with enhanced rRNA transcription activity. Of clinical relevance, the basal cell gene-expression profile is enriched in advanced, anaplastic, castration-resistant and metastatic prostate cancers. Therefore, we link the cell-type-specific gene signatures to aggressive subtypes of prostate cancer and identify gene signatures associated with adverse clinical features.
Association of basal serum androgen levels with ovarian response and ICSI cycle outcome.
The
purpose of this study was to assess the predictive value of basal serum testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels during follicular phase for ovarian response and outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles of women with diminished ovarian reserve. We prospectively gathered data of basal serum androgen levels and ICSI cycle characteristics of 120 women with diminished ovarian reserve. Association of basal serum T and
DHEAS levels with ovarian response was analyzed. Basal T and DHEAS levels were similar between pregnant and non-pregnant cases (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between groups with and without successful embryo implantation in terms of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), gonadotropin starting and total dose, and peak estradiol level (P < 0.05). There were 58 (49.2%) cases who did not reach to the embryo
transfer stage due to several reasons including cancelation of stimulation due to unresponsiveness (n = 26, 21.7%), no oocyte at oocyte pickup (n = 11, 9.2%), no mature oocyte (n = 6, 5%), and failure of fertilization or embryo development (n = 15, 12.5%). Basal androgen levels were not significant predictors for any of the cycle outcome. AMH level was a significant predictor for failure of fertilization or embryo development (AUC 0.722,
P = 0.01) and cancelation of stimulation (AUC 0.801, P < 0.001). FSH was a significant predictor for cancelation of stimulation (AUC 0.774, P < 0.001). In women with diminished ovarian reserve, basal T and DHEAS levels have no value in predicting any of the cycle outcome parameters.
The influence of basal-ice debris on patterns and rates of glacial erosion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ugelvig, Sofie V.; Egholm, David L.
2018-05-01
Glaciers have played a key
role for shaping much of Earth's high topography during the cold periods of the Late Cenozoic. However, despite of their distinct influence on landscapes, the mechanisms of glacial erosion, and the properties that determine their rate of operation, are still poorly understood. Theoretical models of subglacial erosion generally highlight the influence of basal sliding in setting the pace of erosion, but they also point to a strong influence of other subglacial properties, such as
effective bed pressure and basal-ice debris concentration. The latter properties are, however, not easily measured in existing glaciers, and hence their influence cannot readily be confirmed by observations. In order to better connect theoretical models for erosion to measurable properties in glaciers, we used computational landscape evolution experiments to study the expected influence of basal-ice debris concentration for subglacial abrasion at the scale of glaciers.
The computational experiments couple the two erosion processes of quarrying and abrasion, and furthermore integrate the flow of ice and transport of debris within the ice, thus allowing for the study of dynamic feedbacks between subglacial erosion and systematic glacier-scale variations in basal-ice debris concentration. The experiments explored several physics-based models for glacial erosion, in combination with different models for basal sliding to elucidate the
relationship between sliding speed, erosion rate and basal-ice debris concentration. The results demonstrate how differences in debris concentration can explain large variations in measured rates. The experiments also provide a simple explanation for the observed dependence of glacier-averaged rate of erosion on glacier size: that large glacier uplands feed more debris into their lower-elevation parts, thereby strengthening their erosive power.
Comparison of liraglutide plus basal insulin and basal-bolus insulin therapy (BBIT) for glycemic control, body weight stability, and treatment satisfaction in patients treated using BBIT for type 2 diabetes without severe insulin deficiency: A randomized prospective pilot study.
Nectar secretion requires sucrose phosphate synthases and the sugar transporter SWEET9.
PubMed
Lin, I Winnie; Sosso, Davide; Chen, Li-Qing; Gase, Klaus; Kim, Sang-Gyu; Kessler, Danny; Klinkenberg, Peter M; Gorder,
Molly K; Hou, Bi-Huei; Qu, Xiao-Qing; Carter, Clay J; Baldwin, Ian T; Frommer, Wolf B
2014-04-24
Angiosperms developed floral nectaries that reward pollinating insects. Although nectar function and composition have been characterized, the mechanism of nectar secretion has remained unclear. Here we identify SWEET9 as a nectary-specific sugar transporter in three eudicotspecies: Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica rapa (extrastaminal nectaries) and Nicotiana
attenuata (gynoecial nectaries). We show that SWEET9 is essential for nectar production and can function as an efflux transporter. We also show that sucrose phosphate synthase genes, encoding key enzymes for sucrose biosynthesis, are highly expressed in nectaries and that their expression is also essential for nectar secretion. Together these data are consistent with a model in which sucrose is synthesized in the nectary parenchyma and subsequently secreted into the extracellular space via
SWEET9, where sucrose is hydrolysed by an apoplasmic invertase to produce a mixture of sucrose, glucose and fructose. The recruitment of SWEET9 for sucrose export may have been a key innovation, and could have coincided with the evolution of core eudicots and contributed to the evolution of nectar secretion to reward pollinators.
Imaging Basal Crevasses at the Grounding Line of Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jacobel, R. W.; Dawson, E. C.; Christianson, K.
2015-12-01
We
acquired gridded ground-based radar data at the WIS grounding zone where the transition from limited- or no-slip conditions at the base of grounded ice to free-slip conditions beneath floating ice occurs across a region only a few kilometers wide. This transition is either an elastic-flexural transition from bedrock to hydrostatically-supported elevations (often tidally influenced), a transition from thicker to thinner ice over a flat bed, or some combination of these. In either case, the stress
field of the ice changes as it flows across the grounding zone, often resulting in brittle deformation, which is manifested as basal crevassing at the ice-sheet base and sometimes as strand cracks at the surface. The position and morphology of these features reveal important information about the stress state across this transition where ice and ocean interact. Our surveys indicate a complex pattern of basal crevassing with many imaged in two or more profile segments as
a linear feature at the bed, usually trending oblique to flow and often extending for several kilometers. Due to the wide beam pattern of our antennas, we image many of the crevasses from off-nadir reflections. Thus their arrival times are later than the primary basal reflection and segments of the crevasse appear "below" the bed, when in fact they are merely trending oblique to the profile. Often these returns have a reversed phase relative to the bed echo because the high
dielectric contrast of seawater and a favorable geometry enable reflections with little loss (but a second phase reversal) from the ice-water interface near the crevasse base. In a few cases, these crevasse echoes from targets trending oblique to the profile appear to mimic the geometry of a sub-ice sediment "wedge", while in reality the radar never penetrates below the basal interface. Only about 25% of the crevasses appear to extend any significant distance upward into the
basal ice, typically at low angles. A subset of these are
Adenoid basal cell carcinoma: a rare facet of basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common, locally invasive epithelial malignancy of skin and its appendages. Every year, close to 10 million people get diagnosed with BCC worldwide. While the histology of this lesion is mostly predictable, some of the rare histological variants such as cystic, adenoid,
morpheaform, infundibulocystic, pigmented and miscellaneous variants (clear-cell, signet ring cell, granular, giant cell, adamantanoid, schwannoid) are even rarer, accounting for <10% of all BCC's. Adenoid BCC (ADBCC) is a very rare histopathological variant with reported incidence of only approximately 1.3%. The clinical appearance of this lesion can be a pigmented or non-pigmented nodule or ulcer without predilection for any particular site. We share a case report of ADBCC, a rare
histological variant of BCC that showed interesting features not only histologically but also by clinically mimicking a benign lesion. PMID:27095806
A Basal Sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Ischigualasto
Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the Early Evolution of Sauropodomorpha
PubMed Central
Martinez, Ricardo N.; Alcober, Oscar A.
2009-01-01
Background The earliest dinosaurs are from the early Late Triassic (Carnian) of South America. By the Carnian the main clades Saurischia and Ornithischia were already established, and the presence of the most primitive known sauropodomorph
Saturnalia suggests also that Saurischia had already diverged into Theropoda and Sauropodomorpha. Knowledge of Carnian sauropodomorphs has been restricted to this single species. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe a new small sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Ischigualsto Formation (Carnian) in northwest Argentina, Panphagia protos gen. et sp. nov., on the basis of a partial skeleton. The genus and species are characterized by an anteroposteriorly elongated fossa
on the base of the anteroventral process of the nasal; wide lateral flange on the quadrate with a large foramen; deep groove on the lateral surface of the lower jaw surrounded by prominent dorsal and ventral ridges; bifurcated posteroventral process of the dentary; long retroarticular process transversally wider than the articular area for the quadrate; oval scars on the lateral surface of the posterior border of the centra of cervical vertebrae; distinct prominences on the neural arc of the
anterior cervical vertebra; distal end of the scapular blade nearly three times wider than the neck; scapular blade with an expanded posterodistal corner; and medial lamina of brevis fossa twice as wide as the iliac spine. Conclusions/Significance We regard Panphagia as the most basal sauropodomorph, which shares the following apomorphies with Saturnalia and more derived sauropodomorphs: basally constricted crowns; lanceolate crowns; teeth of the anterior quarter of the
dentary higher than the others; and short posterolateral flange of distal tibia. The presence of Panphagia at the base of the early Carnian Ischigualasto Formation suggests an earlier origin of Sauropodomorpha during the Middle Triassic. PMID:19209223
The Distribution of Basal Water
Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet from Radio-Echo Sounding
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jordan, T.; Williams, C.; Schroeder, D. M.; Martos, Y. M.; Cooper, M.; Siegert, M. J.; Paden, J. D.; Huybrechts, P.; Bamber, J. L.
2017-12-01
There is widespread, but often indirect, evidence that a significant fraction of the Greenland Ice Sheet is thawed at the bed. This includes major
outlet glaciers and around the NorthGRIP ice-core in the interior. However, the ice-sheet-wide distribution of basal water is poorly constrained by existing observations, and the spatial relationship between basal water and other ice-sheet and subglacial properties is therefore largely unexplored. In principle, airborne radio-echo sounding (RES) surveys provide the necessary information and spatial coverage to infer the presence of basal water at the
ice-sheet scale. However, due to uncertainty and spatial variation in radar signal attenuation, the commonly used water diagnostic, bed-echo reflectivity, is highly ambiguous and prone to spatial bias. Here we introduce a new RES diagnostic for the presence of basal water which incorporates both sharp step-transitions and rapid fluctuations in bed-echo reflectivity. This has the advantage of being (near) independent of attenuation model, and enables a decade of recent Operation Ice
Bride RES survey data to be combined in a single map for basal water. The ice-sheet-wide water predictions are compared with: bed topography and drainage network structure, existing knowledge of the thermal state and geothermal heat flux, and ice velocity. In addition to the fast flowing ice-sheet margins, we also demonstrate widespread water routing and storage in parts of the slow-flowing northern interior. Notably, this includes a quasi-linear `corridor' of basal
water, extending from NorthGRIP to Petermann glacier, which spatially correlates with a region of locally high (magnetic-derived) geothermal heat flux. The predicted water distribution places a new constraint upon the basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and could be used as an input for ice-sheet model simulations.
Pristine Basal- and Edge-Plane-Oriented Molybdenite MoS2 Exhibiting Highly Anisotropic Properties.
PubMed
Tan, Shu Min; Ambrosi, Adriano; Sofer, Zdenĕk; Huber, Štěpán; Sedmidubský, David; Pumera,
Martin
Do Current Basal Series Use Clear Explanations and Correct Exemplars in Teaching Prefixes?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Volpe, Myra Elaine
A study
(replicating a similar 1977 study by S. Stotsky), examined whether current basal series teach prefixion clearly. Teacher's guides, student texts, and workbooks of nine popular basal reader series were examined to ascertain whether they offered a clear definition of the term "prefix" and whether that definition was reinforced by…
Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders of Basal Ganglia Origin: Restoring Function or Functionality?
PubMed
Wichmann, Thomas; DeLong, Mahlon R
2016-04-01
Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
is highly effective for both hypo- and hyperkinetic movement disorders of basal ganglia origin. The clinical use of DBS is, in part, empiric, based on the experience with prior surgical ablative therapies for these disorders, and, in part, driven by scientific discoveries made decades ago. In this review, we consider anatomical and functional concepts of the basal ganglia relevant to our understanding of DBS mechanisms, as well as our current understanding of the
pathophysiology of two of the most commonly DBS-treated conditions, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Finally, we discuss the proposed mechanism(s) of action of DBS in restoring function in patients with movement disorders. The signs and symptoms of the various disorders appear to result from signature disordered activity in the basal ganglia output, which disrupts the activity in thalamocortical and brainstem networks. The available evidence suggests that the effects of DBS are
strongly dependent on targeting sensorimotor portions of specific nodes of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit, that is, the subthalamic nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus. There is little evidence to suggest that DBS in patients with movement disorders restores normal basal ganglia functions (e.g., their role in movement or reinforcement learning). Instead, it appears that high-frequency DBS replaces the abnormal basal
ganglia output with a more tolerable pattern, which helps to restore the functionality of downstream networks.
Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Dorsal Hand: An Update and Comprehensive Review of the Literature.
PubMed
Loh, Tiffany Y; Rubin, Ashley G; Brian Jiang, Shang I
2016-04-01
Excessive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the primary predisposing factor for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, surprisingly, BCCs occur very rarely on the dorsal hand, which is subject to intense sun exposure, and their infrequent presentation in this location suggests that other factors besides UVR
may play a role in BCC pathogenesis. Because dorsal hand BCCs are uncommon, knowledge of their characteristics is limited, and more data are needed to describe their clinical presentation and treatment. To perform an updated review of the literature on the management of dorsal hand BCCs. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review by searching the PubMed database with the key phrases "basal cell carcinoma dorsal hand," "basal cell carcinoma hand," and
"basal cell carcinoma finger," and "basal cell carcinoma thumb." The authors identified 176 cases of dorsal hand BCCs in the literature, 120 of which had sufficient data for analysis. Only 4 cases were treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). The authors present 14 additional cases of dorsal hand BCCs treated with MMS. Basal cell carcinomas on the dorsal hand occur infrequently, and potential risk factors include being a male of white descent and
personal history of skin cancer. Mohs micrographic surgery seems to be an effective treatment method.
Genetics Home Reference: biotin-thiamine-responsive basal ganglia disease
The Oncogenic Role of
RhoGAPs in Basal-Like Breast Cancer
DTIC Science & Technology
2015-02-01
cell lines, and mouse models . c) In vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays. Milestones: Identify whether ArhGAP11A and RacGAP1 can promote tumor growth...also upregulated in basal (C3(I)-Tag) but not luminal (MMTV-Neu) genetically- engineered mouse models (Fig. 1B). At the protein level, RacGAP1 was...hypothesis
that these RhoGAPs are indeed playing an oncogenic role in these cells. Human Tumors Mouse Model Tumors Normal Luminal A Basal-like Normal
Effect of acute hyperglycemia on basal and bombesin-stimulated pancreaticobiliary secretion in humans.
PubMed
Lam, W F; Masclee, A A; Muller, E S; Souverijn, J H; Lamers, C B
1998-08-01
This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of acute hyperglycemia on basal and bombesin-stimulated pancreaticobiliary secretion. Seven healthy subjects participated in two experiments performed in random order during normoglycemia and hyperglycemic clamping at 15 mM. Duodenal outputs of
bilirubin, trypsin, amylase, and bicarbonate were measured by aspiration with a recovery marker under basal conditions for 60 min and during continuous infusion of bombesin (1 ng/kg x min) for 60 min. Plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) levels were determined at regular intervals. Compared to normoglycemia, during hyperglycemia basal outputs of bilirubin (17 +/- 3 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.4 micromol/60 min), trypsin (24 +/- 4 vs. 4 +/- 1 U/60 min), amylase
(12 +/- 1 vs. 3 +/- 1 kU/60 min), and bicarbonate (2.9 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/60 min) were significantly p < 0.05) reduced. Bombesin significantly (p < 0.05) increased pancreaticobiliary output during both normo- and hyperglycemia. During hyperglycemia bombesin-stimulated 60-min outputs of bilirubin, trypsin, amylase, and bicarbonate were not significantly different compared to those during normoglycemia. Basal and bombesin-stimulated plasma PP concentrations were
significantly (p < 0.05) reduced during hyperglycemia, but plasma CCK levels were not significantly different. It is concluded that acute hyperglycemia reduces basal but does not affect bombesin-induced pancreaticobiliary secretion.
Lachrymal Gland Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma in a
Ferret (Mustela putorius furo).
PubMed
Chambers, J K; Nakamori, T; Kishimoto, T E; Nakata, M; Miwa, Y; Nakayama, H; Uchida, K
Basal and thermal control mechanisms of the Ragnhild glaciers, East
Antarctica
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pattyn, Frank; de Brabander, Sang; Huyghe, Ann
The Ragnhild glaciers are three enhanced-flow features situated between the Sør Rondane and Yamato Mountains in eastern Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. We investigate the glaciological mechanisms controlling their existence and behavior, using a three-dimensional numerical thermomechanical
ice-sheet model including higher-order stress gradients. This model is further extended with a steady-state model of subglacial water flow, based on the hydraulic potential gradient. Both static and dynamic simulations are capable of reproducing the enhanced ice-flow features. Although basal topography is responsible for the existence of the flow pattern, thermomechanical effects and basal sliding seem to locally soften and lubricate the ice in the main trunks. Lateral
drag is a contributing factor in balancing the driving stress, as shear margins can be traced over a distance of hundreds of kilometers along west Ragnhild glacier. Different basal sliding scenarios show that central Ragnhild glacier stagnates as west Ragnhild glacier accelerates and progressively drains the whole catchment area by ice and water piracy.
The symbiotic fauna of the African termite Hodotermes mossambicus identification of four flagellate species of the genera Spironympha, Trichomonoides and Retortamonas.
PubMed
Brugerolle, Guy
2006-02-01
Two Spironympha species were described by light immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Spironympha fibrosa n. sp. has a narrow columella, several axostylar fibres and original striated myoneme-like fibres attached to the last basal body of each flagellar line. Spironympha simplex n. sp. is small and has non-striated microfibrils attached to the basal body section and an axostyle composed of two fibres. Trichomonas termitidis, as reported by
Dogiel (Researches on parasitic protozoa from the intestine of termites. II. Lophomonadidae. Sci Res Zool Exped Brit E Africa made by Prof. V. Dogiel and I. Sokolow in 1914 10:20-35, 1917), has the features of Trichomonoides trypanoides, as reported by Brugerolle and Bordereau (Eur J Protistol 40:163-174, 2004). Retortamonas hodotermitis n. sp. shares the characteristics of insect retortamonads, as reported by Brugerolle (Protistologica 8:233-240, 1976), but does not correspond to any
species described to date. The species identification differs from that of described in Dogiel (Russkii Arkhiv Protistologii 1:172-234, 1922).
Discovery of germacrene A synthases in Barnadesia spinosa: The first committed step in sesquiterpene lactone biosynthesis in the
basal member of the Asteraceae.
PubMed
Nguyen, Trinh-Don; Faraldos, Juan A; Vardakou, Maria; Salmon, Melissa; O'Maille, Paul E; Ro, Dae-Kyun
Chloral hydrate alters the organization of the ciliary basal apparatus and cell organelles in sea urchin embryos
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chakrabarti, A.; Schatten, H.; Mitchell, K. D.; Crosser, M.; Taylor, M.
1998-01-01
The mitotic inhibitor, chloral hydrate, induces ciliary loss in the early embryo phase of Lytechinus pictus. It causes a breakdown of cilia at the junction of the cilium and the basal body known as the basal plate. This leaves the plasma membrane temporarily unsealed. The
basal apparatus accessory structures, consisting of the basal body, basal foot, basal foot cap, striated side arm, and striated rootlet, are either misaligned or disintegrated by treatment with chloral hydrate. Furthermore, microtubules which are associated with the basal apparatus are disassembled. Mitochondria accumulate at the base of cilia - underneath the plasma membrane - and show alterations in their structural organization.
The accumulation of mitochondria is observed in 40% of all electron micrograph sections while 60% show the areas mostly devoid of mitochondria. The microvilli surrounding a cilium and striated rootlet remain intact in the presence of chloral hydrate. These results suggest that deciliation in early sea urchin embryos by chloral hydrate is caused by combined effects on the ciliary membrane and on microtubules in the cilia. Furthermore, it is suggested that chloral hydrate can serve as a tool to
explore the cytoskeletal mechanisms that are involved in cilia motility in the developing sea urchin embryo.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF CILIA AND BASAL BODIES OF THE EPITHELIUM OF THE CHOROID PLEXUS IN THE CHICK
EMBRYO
PubMed Central
Doolin, Paul F.; Birge, Wesley J.
1966-01-01
Ultrastructural studies were performed on normal and abnormal cilia and basal bodies associated with the choroidal epithelium of the chick embryo. Tissues were prepared in each of several fixatives including: 1% osmium tetroxide, in both phosphate and veronal acetate buffers; 2% glutaraldehyde,
followed by postfixation in osmium tetroxide; 1% potassium permanganate in veronal acetate buffer. Normal cilia display the typical pattern of 9 peripheral doublets and 2 central fibers, as well as a system of 9 secondary fibers. The latter show distinct interconnections between peripheral and central fibers. Supernumerary fibers were found to occur in certain abnormal cilia. The basal body is complex, bearing 9 transitional fibers at the distal end and numerous cross-striated
rootlets at the proximal end. The distal end of the basal body is delimited by a basal plate of moderate density. The tubular cylinder consists of 9 triple fibers. The C subfibers end at the basal plate, whereas subfibers A and B continue into the shaft of the cilium. The 9 transitional fibers radiate out from the distal end of the basal body, ending in bulblike terminal enlargements which are closely associated with the cell membrane in the
area of the basal cup. One or 2 prominent basal feet project laterally from the basal body. These structures characteristically show several dense cross-bands and, on occasion, are found associated with microtubules. PMID:5335827
Research on basal stem rot
(BSR) of ornamental palms caused by basidiospores from Ganoderma boninense.
PubMed
Lim, H P; Fong, Y K
2005-01-01
Basidiospores were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma infecting oil palms from an estate in Johor and from ornamental palms (including oil palms) from Singapore. The spores were then germinated to obtain homokaryotic mycelia. Based on clamp connection
formation in paired hyphal fusions, tester strains were identified from the homokaryons isolated. Compatibility tests were then carried out using these testers to determine the relatedness of the homokaryotic Ganoderma isolates, both from Johor and from Singapore. Results from the compatibility tests showed that Ganoderma from both locations belong to the same species, while the Ganoderma isolates from Singapore share some common alleles. The pathogenicity tests carried out on
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens seedlings using inoculum growing on rubber wood blocks showed that dikaryotic mycelia can cause basal stem rot infection.
Extending the Basal. Learning Package No. 13.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Collins, Norma; Smith, Carl, Comp.
Originally developed for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on extending the basal is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture
giving an overview on the topic; the full text of several…
Four new species of Pyropia (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from the west coast of North America: the Pyropia lanceolata species complex updated
PubMed Central
Lindstrom, Sandra C.; Hughey, Jeffery R.; Rosas, Luis E. Aguilar
2015-01-01
Abstract Recent molecular studies indicate that the Pyropia lanceolata species complex on the west coast of North America is more speciose than previously thought. Based on extensive rbcL gene sequencing of representative specimens we recognize seven species in the complex,
three of which are newly described: Pyropia montereyensis sp. nov., Pyropia columbiensis sp. nov., and Pyropia protolanceolata sp. nov. The new species are all lanceolate, at least when young, and occur in the upper mid to high intertidal zone primarily in winter and early spring. Pyropia montereyensis and Pyropia columbiensis are sister taxa that are distributed south and north of Cape Mendocino, respectively, and both occur slightly lower on the shore than Pyropia lanceolata or
Pyropia pseudolanceolata. Pyropia protolanceolata is known thus far only from Morro Rock and the Monterey Peninsula, California; it occurs basally to the other species in the complex in the molecular phylogeny. A fourth newly described species, Pyropia bajacaliforniensis sp. nov., is more closely related to Pyropia nereocystis than to species in this complex proper. It is a thin species with undulate margins known only from Moss
Landing, Monterey Bay, California, and northern Baja California; it also occurs in the high intertidal in spring. Porphyra mumfordii, a high intertidal winter species that has frequently been confused with species in the Pyropia lanceolata complex, has now been confirmed to occur from Calvert Island, British Columbia, to Pescadero State Park, California. PMID:26312033
Purification and Characterization of the Bacterial Flagellar Basal Body from Salmonella enterica.
PubMed
Aizawa, Shin-Ichi
2017-01-01
The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle. The
flagellum is composed of three main structures: the basal body as a rotary engine embedded in the cellular membranes and cell wall, the long external filament that acts as a propeller, and the hook acting as a universal joint that connects them. I describe protocols for the purification of the filament and hook-basal body from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.
Field measurement of basal forces generated by erosive debris flows
USGS Publications Warehouse
McCoy, S.W.; Tucker, G.E.; Kean, J.W.; Coe, J.A.
2013-01-01
It has been proposed that debris flows
cut bedrock valleys in steeplands worldwide, but field measurements needed to constrain mechanistic models of this process remain sparse due to the difficulty of instrumenting natural flows. Here we present and analyze measurements made using an automated sensor network, erosion bolts, and a 15.24 cm by 15.24 cm force plate installed in the bedrock channel floor of a steep catchment. These measurements allow us to quantify the distribution of basal forces from natural debris‒flow
events that incised bedrock. Over the 4 year monitoring period, 11 debris‒flow events scoured the bedrock channel floor. No clear water flows were observed. Measurements of erosion bolts at the beginning and end of the study indicated that the bedrock channel floor was lowered by 36 to 64 mm. The basal force during these erosive debris‒flow events had a large‒magnitude (up to 21 kN, which was approximately 50 times larger than the concurrent time‒averaged mean force), high‒frequency
(greater than 1 Hz) fluctuating component. We interpret these fluctuations as flow particles impacting the bed. The resulting variability in force magnitude increased linearly with the time‒averaged mean basal force. Probability density functions of basal normal forces were consistent with a generalized Pareto distribution, rather than the exponential distribution that is commonly found in experimental and simulated monodispersed granular flows and which has a lower
probability of large forces. When the bed sediment thickness covering the force plate was greater than ~ 20 times the median bed sediment grain size, no significant fluctuations about the time‒averaged mean force were measured, indicating that a thin layer of sediment (~ 5 cm in the monitored cases) can effectively shield the subjacent bed from erosive impacts. Coarse‒grained granular surges and water‒rich, intersurge flow had very similar basal force distributions despite
Two new Species of Simulium (Simulium) (Diptera: Simuliidae) From Mount Murud, Sarawak, Malaysia.
PubMed
Takaoka, Hiroyuki; Ya'cob, Zubaidah; Sofian-Azirun, Mohd
Basal ganglia dysfunction in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder parallels that in early Parkinson's disease.
PubMed
Rolinski, Michal; Griffanti, Ludovica; Piccini, Paola; Roussakis, Andreas A; Szewczyk-Krolikowski,
Konrad; Menke, Ricarda A; Quinnell, Timothy; Zaiwalla, Zenobia; Klein, Johannes C; Mackay, Clare E; Hu, Michele T M
2016-08-01
SEE POSTUMA DOI101093/AWW131 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging dysfunction within the basal ganglia network is a feature of early Parkinson's disease and may be a diagnostic biomarker of basal ganglia dysfunction. Currently, it is unclear whether these changes are present
in so-called idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, a condition associated with a high rate of future conversion to Parkinson's disease. In this study, we explore the utility of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to detect basal ganglia network dysfunction in rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. We compare these data to a set of healthy control subjects, and to a set of patients with established early Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, we
explore the relationship between resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging basal ganglia network dysfunction and loss of dopaminergic neurons assessed with dopamine transporter single photon emission computerized tomography, and perform morphometric analyses to assess grey matter loss. Twenty-six patients with polysomnographically-established rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, 48 patients with Parkinson's disease and 23 healthy control subjects were included in
this study. Resting state networks were isolated from task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging data using dual regression with a template derived from a separate cohort of 80 elderly healthy control participants. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging parameter estimates were extracted from the study subjects in the basal ganglia network. In addition, eight patients with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, 10 with Parkinson's disease and 10 control
subjects received (123)I-ioflupane single photon emission computerized tomography. We tested for reduction of basal ganglia network connectivity, and for loss of tracer uptake in rapid eye movement sleep
Proactive Selective
Response Suppression Is Implemented via the Basal Ganglia
PubMed Central
Majid, D. S. Adnan; Cai, Weidong; Corey-Bloom, Jody
2013-01-01
In the welter of everyday life, people can stop particular response tendencies without affecting others. A key requirement for such selective suppression is that subjects know in advance which responses need stopping. We hypothesized
that proactively setting up and implementing selective suppression relies on the basal ganglia and, specifically, regions consistent with the inhibitory indirect pathway for which there is scant functional evidence in humans. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show, first, that the degree of proactive motor suppression when preparing to stop selectively (indexed by transcranial magnetic stimulation) corresponds to striatal, pallidal, and frontal activation (indexed by functional
MRI). Second, we demonstrate that greater striatal activation at the time of selective stopping correlates with greater behavioral selectivity. Third, we show that people with striatal and pallidal volume reductions (those with premanifest Huntington's disease) have both absent proactive motor suppression and impaired behavioral selectivity when stopping. Thus, stopping goals are used to proactively set up specific basal ganglia channels that may then be triggered to implement
selective suppression. By linking this suppression to the striatum and pallidum, these results provide compelling functional evidence in humans of the basal ganglia's inhibitory indirect pathway. PMID:23946385
Two appendages homologous between basal bodies and centrioles are formed
using distinct Odf2 domains.
Ciliogenesis is regulated by context-dependent cellular cues, including some transduced through appendage-like structures on ciliary basal bodies called transition fibers and basal
feet. However, the molecular basis for this regulation is not fully understood. The Odf2 gene product, ODF2/cenexin, is essential for both ciliogenesis and the formation of the distal and subdistal appendages on centrioles, which become basal bodies. We examined the effects of Odf2 deletion constructs on ciliogenesis in Odf2-knockout F9 cells. Electron microscopy revealed that ciliogenesis and transition fiber formation required the ODF2/cenexin fragment containing amino acids (aa)
188-806, whereas basal foot formation required aa 1-59 and 188-806. These sequences also formed distal and subdistal appendages, respectively, indicating that the centriole appendages are molecularly analogous to those on basal bodies. We used the differential formation of appendages by Odf2 deletion constructs to study the incorporation and function of molecules associated with each appendage type. We found that transition fibers and distal appendages were required for
ciliogenesis and subdistal appendages stabilized the centrosomal microtubules.
Metabolite alterations in basal ganglia associated with methamphetamine-related psychiatric symptoms. A proton MRS study.
Following the chronic use of methamphetamine, some individuals experience psychosis and anxiety. One reason may be the persistence of metabolite abnormalities in the brain of currently abstinent former methamphetamine
users. In this study, N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr), and choline-containing compound (Cho) levels were measured in the left and right basal ganglia using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in 13 abstinent methamphetamine users and 11 healthy comparison subjects with no history of illicit drug use. The methamphetamine users showed a significantly reduced Cr+PCr/Cho ratio in the bilateral basal ganglia compared with the healthy
comparison subjects. Furthermore, the reduction in the Cr+PCr/Cho ratio was significantly correlated with the duration of methamphetamine use and with the severity of residual psychiatric symptoms. NAA/Cho ratios in the bilateral basal ganglia did not significantly differ between methamphetamine users and comparison subjects. These findings suggest that protracted use of methamphetamine may cause metabolite alterations in the basal ganglia. Furthermore, residual
psychiatric symptoms may be attributable to the metabolite alterations in the basal ganglia.
Basal C-peptide Level as a Surrogate Marker of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
PubMed Central
Kim, Sung-Tae; Kim, Byung-Joon; Song, In-Geol; Jung, Jang-Han; Lee, Kang-Woo; Park, Keun-Young; Cho, Youn-Zoo; Lee, Dae-Ho; Koh, Gwan-Pyo
2011-01-01
Background Recent studies have revealed that C-peptide induces smooth muscle cell proliferation and causes human atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic patients. The present study was designed to examine whether the basal
C-peptide levels correlate with cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods Data was obtained from 467 patients with T2DM from two institutions who were followed for four years. The medical findings of all patients were reviewed, and patients with creatinine >1.4 mg/dL, any inflammation or infection, hepatitis, or type 1 DM were excluded. The relationships between basal C-peptide and other clinical values were statistically analyzed. Results A simple
correlation was found between basal C-peptide and components of metabolic syndrome (MS). Statistically basal C-peptide levels were significantly higher than the three different MS criteria used in the present study, the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP's), World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria (NCEP-ATP III, P=0.001; IDF, P<0.001; WHO, P=0.029). The multiple
regression analysis between intima-media thickness (IMT) and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide significantly correlated with IMT (P=0.043), while the analysis between the 10-year coronary heart disease risk by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study risk engine and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide did not correlate with IMT (P=0.226). Conclusion Basal C-peptide is related to cardiovascular predictors (IMT) of T2DM, suggesting that
basal C-peptide does provide a further indication of cardiovascular disease. PMID:21537412
Global dysrhythmia of cerebro-basal ganglia-cerebellar networks underlies motor tics following striatal disinhibition.
PubMed
McCairn, Kevin W; Iriki, Atsushi; Isoda, Masaki
2013-01-09
Motor tics, a cardinal symptom of Tourette syndrome (TS), are hypothesized to arise from abnormalities within cerebro-basal ganglia circuits. Yet noninvasive neuroimaging of TS has previously identified robust activation in the cerebellum. To date, electrophysiological properties of cerebellar activation and its role
in basal ganglia-mediated tic expression remain unknown. We performed multisite, multielectrode recordings of single-unit activity and local field potentials from the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and primary motor cortex using a pharmacologic monkey model of motor tics/TS. Following microinjections of bicuculline into the sensorimotor putamen, periodic tics occurred predominantly in the orofacial region, and a sizable number of cerebellar neurons showed phasic changes in
activity associated with tic episodes. Specifically, 64% of the recorded cerebellar cortex neurons exhibited increases in activity, and 85% of the dentate nucleus neurons displayed excitatory, inhibitory, or multiphasic responses. Critically, abnormal discharges of cerebellar cortex neurons and excitatory-type dentate neurons mostly preceded behavioral tic onset, indicating their central origins. Latencies of pathological activity in the cerebellum and primary motor cortex substantially
overlapped, suggesting that aberrant signals may be traveling along divergent pathways to these structures from the basal ganglia. Furthermore, the occurrence of tic movement was most closely associated with local field potential spikes in the cerebellum and primary motor cortex, implying that these structures may function as a gate to release overt tic movements. These findings indicate that tic-generating networks in basal ganglia mediated tic disorders extend beyond
classical cerebro-basal ganglia circuits, leading to global network dysrhythmia including cerebellar circuits.
Efficacy of Vismodegib (Erivedge) for Basal Cell Carcinoma Involving the Orbit and Periocular Area.
PubMed
Demirci, Hakan; Worden, Francis; Nelson, Christine C; Elner, Victor M; Kahana, Alon
2015-01-01
Evaluate the effectiveness of vismodegib in the management of basal cell carcinoma with orbital extension and/or extensive periocular involvement. Retrospective chart review of 6 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven orbital basal cell carcinoma and 2 additional
patients with extensive periocular basal cell carcinoma who were treated with oral vismodegib (150 mg/day) was performed. Basal cell carcinoma extended in the orbit in 6 of 8 patients (involving orbital bones in 1 patient), and 2 of 8 patients had extensive periocular involvement (1 with basal cell nevus syndrome). Vismodegib therapy was the only treatment in 6 patients, off-label neoadjuvant in 1 patient, and adjuvant treatment in 1 patient. Orbital tumors
in all 4 patients who received vismodegib as sole treatment showed partial response with a mean 83% shrinkage in tumor size after a median of 7 months of therapy. In the 2 patients receiving vismodegib as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies, there was complete response after a median of 7 months of therapy and no evidence of clinical recurrence after discontinuing therapy for a median of 15 months. The 2 patients with extensive periocular involvement experienced complete clinical response after a
median 14 months of treatment. During treatment, the most common side effects were muscle spasm (75%) followed by alopecia (50%), dysgeusia (25%), dysosmia, and episodes of diarrhea and constipation (13%). Basal cell carcinoma with orbital extension and extensive periocular involvement responds to vismodegib therapy. The long-term prognosis remains unknown, and additional prospective studies are indicated.
Directional analysis of coherent oscillatory field potentials in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia of the rat
PubMed Central
Sharott,
Andrew; Magill, Peter J; Bolam, J Paul; Brown, Peter
2005-01-01
Population activity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits is synchronized at different frequencies according to brain state. However, the structures that are likely to drive the synchronization of activity in these circuits remain unclear. Furthermore, it is not known whether the direction of transmission of activity is fixed or dependent on brain state. We have used the directed transfer function (DTF) to
investigate the direction in which coherent activity is effectively driven in cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Local field potentials (LFPs) were simultaneously recorded in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), together with the ipsilateral frontal electrocorticogram (ECoG) of anaesthetized rats. Directional analysis was performed on recordings made during robust cortical slow-wave activity (SWA) and ‘global activation’.
During SWA, there was coherence at ∼1 Hz between ECoG and basal ganglia LFPs, with much of the coherent activity directed from cortex to basal ganglia. There were similar coherent activities at ∼1 Hz within the basal ganglia, with more activity directed from SNr to GP and STN, and from STN to GP rather than vice versa. During global activation, peaks in coherent activity were seen at higher frequencies (15–60 Hz), with most coherence also directed from
cortex to basal ganglia. Within the basal ganglia, however, coherence was predominantly directed from GP to STN and SNr. Together, these results highlight a lead role for the cortex in activity relationships with the basal ganglia, and further suggest that the effective direction of coupling between basal ganglia nuclei is dynamically organized according to brain state, with activity relationships involving the GP displaying the greatest
capacity to change. PMID:15550466
Choosing sides – asymmetric centriole and basal body assembly
PubMed Central
Pearson,
Chad G.
2014-01-01
ABSTRACT Centrioles and basal bodies (CBBs) are microtubule-rich cylindrical structures that nucleate and organize centrosomes and cilia, respectively. Despite their apparent ninefold rotational symmetry, the nine sets of triplet microtubules in CBBs possess asymmetries in their morphology and in the structures that associate with them. These asymmetries define the position of nascent CBB assembly, the orientation of ciliary beating, the orientation of
spindle poles and the maintenance of cellular geometry. For some of these functions, the orientation of CBBs is first established during new CBB biogenesis when the daughter structure is positioned adjacent to the mother. The mother CBB organizes the surrounding environment that nascent CBBs are born into, thereby providing a nest for the new CBB to develop. Protists, including ciliates and algae, highlight the importance of this environment with the formation of asymmetrically placed scaffolds
onto which new basal bodies assemble and are positioned. Recent studies illuminate the positioning of nascent centrioles relative to a modular pericentriolar material (PCM) environment and suggest that, like ciliates, centrosomes organize an immediate environment surrounding centrioles for their biogenesis and positioning. In this Commentary, I will explore the positioning of nascent CBB assembly as the first event in building cellular asymmetries and describe how the environment
surrounding both basal bodies and centrioles may define asymmetric assembly. PMID:24895399
The cholinergic basal forebrain in the ferret and its inputs to the auditory cortex.
PubMed
Bajo, Victoria M; Leach, Nicholas D; Cordery, Patricia M; Nodal, Fernando R; King, Andrew J
Changing basal conditions during the speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland
NASA Astrophysics Data
System (ADS)
Habermann, M.; Truffer, M.; Maxwell, D.
2013-06-01
Ice-sheet outlet glaciers can undergo dynamic changes such as the rapid speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbræ following the disintegration of its floating ice tongue. These changes are associated with stress changes on the boundary of the ice mass. We investigate the basal conditions throughout a well-observed period of rapid change and evaluate parameterizations currently used in ice-sheet models. A
Tikhonov inverse method with a Shallow Shelf Approximation forward model is used for diagnostic inversions for the years 1985, 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Our ice softness, model norm, and regularization parameter choices are justified using the data-model misfit metric and the L-curve method. The sensitivity of the inversion results to these parameter choices is explored. We find a lowering of basal yield stress in the first 7 km of the 2008 grounding line and no significant changes
higher upstream. The temporal evolution in the fast flow area is in broad agreement with a Mohr-Coulomb parameterization of basal shear stress, but with a till friction angle much lower than has been measured for till samples. The lowering of basal yield stress is significant within the uncertainties of the inversion, but it cannot be ruled out that there are other significant contributors to the acceleration of the glacier.
Basal autophagy prevents autoactivation or enhancement of inflammatory signals by targeting monomeric MyD88.
Autophagy, the processes of delivery of intracellular components to lysosomes, regulates induction of inflammation. Inducible macroautophagy degrades inflammasomes and dysfunctional mitochondria to downregulate inflammatory signals. Nonetheless, the effects of constitutive basal autophagy on inflammatory signals are largely unknown. Here, we report a previously unknown effect of basal autophagy. Lysosomal inhibition
induced weak inflammatory signals in the absence of a cellular stimulus and in the presence of a nutrient supply, and their induction was impaired by MyD88 deficiency. During lysosomal inhibition, MyD88 was accumulated, and overabundant MyD88 autoactivated downstream signaling or enhanced TLR/IL-1R-mediated signaling. MyD88 is probably degraded via basal microautophagy because macroautophagy inhibitors, ATG5 deficiency, and an activator of chaperone-mediated autophagy did not affect
MyD88. Analysis using a chimeric protein whose monomerization/dimerization can be switched revealed that monomeric MyD88 is susceptible to degradation. Immunoprecipitation of monomeric MyD88 revealed its interaction with TRAF6. In TRAF6-deficient cells, degradation of basal MyD88 was enhanced, suggesting that TRAF6 participates in protection from basal autophagy. Thus, basal autophagy lowers monomeric MyD88 expression, and thereby autoactivation of
inflammatory signals is prevented. Given that impairment of lysosomes occurs in various settings, our results provide novel insights into the etiology of inflammatory signals that affect consequences of inflammation.
Dysfunctions of the
basal ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system produce motor tics in Tourette syndrome
PubMed Central
Arbib, Michael A.; Baldassarre, Gianluca
2017-01-01
Motor tics are a cardinal feature of Tourette syndrome and are traditionally associated with an excess of striatal dopamine in the basal ganglia. Recent evidence increasingly supports a more
articulated view where cerebellum and cortex, working closely in concert with basal ganglia, are also involved in tic production. Building on such evidence, this article proposes a computational model of the basal ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system to study how motor tics are generated in Tourette syndrome. In particular, the model: (i) reproduces the main results of recent experiments about the involvement of the basal
ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system in tic generation; (ii) suggests an explanation of the system-level mechanisms underlying motor tic production: in this respect, the model predicts that the interplay between dopaminergic signal and cortical activity contributes to triggering the tic event and that the recently discovered basal ganglia-cerebellar anatomical pathway may support the involvement of the cerebellum in tic production; (iii) furnishes predictions on the amount of
tics generated when striatal dopamine increases and when the cortex is externally stimulated. These predictions could be important in identifying new brain target areas for future therapies. Finally, the model represents the first computational attempt to study the role of the recently discovered basal ganglia-cerebellar anatomical links. Studying this non-cortex-mediated basal ganglia-cerebellar interaction could radically change our perspective about how these areas
interact with each other and with the cortex. Overall, the model also shows the utility of casting Tourette syndrome within a system-level perspective rather than viewing it as related to the dysfunction of a single brain area. PMID:28358814
Dysfunctions of the basal
ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system produce motor tics in Tourette syndrome.
PubMed
Caligiore, Daniele; Mannella, Francesco; Arbib, Michael A; Baldassarre, Gianluca
2017-03-01
Motor tics are a cardinal feature of Tourette syndrome and are traditionally associated with an excess of striatal dopamine in the basal ganglia. Recent evidence increasingly
supports a more articulated view where cerebellum and cortex, working closely in concert with basal ganglia, are also involved in tic production. Building on such evidence, this article proposes a computational model of the basal ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system to study how motor tics are generated in Tourette syndrome. In particular, the model: (i) reproduces the main results of recent experiments about the involvement of the basal
ganglia-cerebellar-thalamo-cortical system in tic generation; (ii) suggests an explanation of the system-level mechanisms underlying motor tic production: in this respect, the model predicts that the interplay between dopaminergic signal and cortical activity contributes to triggering the tic event and that the recently discovered basal ganglia-cerebellar anatomical pathway may support the involvement of the cerebellum in tic production; (iii) furnishes predictions on the amount of
tics generated when striatal dopamine increases and when the cortex is externally stimulated. These predictions could be important in identifying new brain target areas for future therapies. Finally, the model represents the first computational attempt to study the role of the recently discovered basal ganglia-cerebellar anatomical links. Studying this non-cortex-mediated basal ganglia-cerebellar interaction could radically change our perspective about how these areas
interact with each other and with the cortex. Overall, the model also shows the utility of casting Tourette syndrome within a system-level perspective rather than viewing it as related to the dysfunction of a single brain area.
Transducing Airway Basal Cells with a Helper-Dependent Adenoviral
Vector for Lung Gene Therapy.
PubMed
Cao, Huibi; Ouyang, Hong; Grasemann, Hartmut; Bartlett, Claire; Du, Kai; Duan, Rongqi; Shi, Fushan; Estrada, Marvin; Seigel, Kyle E; Coates, Allan L; Yeger, Herman; Bear, Christine E; Gonska, Tanja; Moraes, Theo J; Hu, Jim
2018-06-01
A major challenge in developing gene-based therapies for airway diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) is
sustaining therapeutic levels of transgene expression over time. This is largely due to airway epithelial cell turnover and the host immunogenicity to gene delivery vectors. Modern gene editing tools and delivery vehicles hold great potential for overcoming this challenge. There is currently not much known about how to deliver genes into airway stem cells, of which basal cells are the major type in human airways. In this study, helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vectors were
delivered to mouse and pig airways via intranasal delivery, and direct bronchoscopic instillation, respectively. Vector transduction was assessed by immunostaining of lung tissue sections, which revealed that airway basal cells of mice and pigs can be targeted in vivo. In addition, efficient transduction of primary human airway basal cells was verified with an HD-Ad vector expressing green fluorescent protein. Furthermore, we successfully delivered the human CFTR gene
to airway basal cells from CF patients, and demonstrated restoration of CFTR channel activity following cell differentiation in air-liquid interface culture. Our results provide a strong rationale for utilizing HD-Ad vectors to target airway basal cells for permanent gene correction of genetic airway diseases.
Mitogen-activated protein kinases participate in determination of apical-basal symmetry in Pisum sativum.
PubMed
Winnicki, Konrad; Polit, Justyna Teresa; Żabka, Aneta; Maszewski, Janusz
Neutrophil migration through preexisting holes in the basal laminae of alveolar capillaries and epithelium during streptococcal pneumonia.
PubMed
Walker, D C; Behzad, A R; Chu, F
1995-11-01
The
purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there are preexisting holes in the endothelial and epithelial basal laminae of alveolar walls and to determine the path taken by neutrophils as they migrate from the capillaries to the airspace of the alveoli during inflammation. Using transmission electron microscopy and serial thin sections of normal rabbit and mouse lung, we have demonstrated the presence of slit-like holes in the capillary basal laminae and round
holes in the basal laminae of type 2 pneumocytes. The slits in the capillary basal laminae were observed at the intersection of the thick and thin walls where endothelium, pericytes, and fibroblasts make close contact. The round holes in the type 2 cell basal laminae were observed at sites of close contact with fibroblasts. Neutrophils were observed to migrate through these slits and holes during streptococcal pneumonia in rabbit lungs. We conclude that
during inflammation in the lung, migrating neutrophils displace pericytes and fibroblasts from the slits in the capillary basal lamina and then crawl through these slits into the alveolar interstitium. We postulate that neutrophils find their way to type 2 pneumocytes by following interstitial fibroblasts. We believe that neutrophils displace fibroblasts from their close contacts with the type 2 cells and then crawl through the holes in the basal lamina into the
basal lateral space of the type 2 cells. From there, neutrophils migrate into the alveolar airspace.
Changes in basal ganglia processing of cortical input following magnetic stimulation in Parkinsonism.
Largest-Crown- Width Prediction Models for 53 Species in the Western United States
Treesearch
William A. Bechtold
2004-01-01
The mean crown diameters of stand-grown trees 5.0-in. dbh and larger were modeled as
a function of stem diameter, live-crown ratio, stand-level basal area, latitude, longitude, elevation, and Hopkins bioclimatic index for 53 tree species in the western United States. Stem diameter was statistically significant in all models, and a quadratic term for stem diameter was...
Bifurcation phenomena in an impulsive model of non-basal testosterone regulation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhusubaliyev, Zhanybai T.; Churilov, Alexander N.; Medvedev, Alexander
2012-03-01
Complex nonlinear dynamics in a recent mathematical model of non-basal testosterone regulation are investigated. In agreement with biological evidence, the pulsatile (non-basal) secretion of testosterone is modeled by frequency and amplitude modulated feedback. It is shown that, in addition to already known periodic motions with one and two pulses in the least period of a closed-loop system solution, cycles of higher periodicity and chaos are present in the model
in hand. The broad range of exhibited dynamic behaviors makes the model highly promising in model-based signal processing of hormone data.
Auditory brainstem activity and development evoked by apical versus basal cochlear implant electrode
stimulation in children.
PubMed
Gordon, K A; Papsin, B C; Harrison, R V
2007-08-01
The role of apical versus basal cochlear implant electrode stimulation on central auditory development was examined. We hypothesized that, in children with early onset deafness, auditory development evoked by basal electrode stimulation would differ from that evoked
more apically. Responses of the auditory nerve and brainstem, evoked by an apical and a basal implant electrode, were measured over the first year of cochlear implant use in 50 children with early onset severe to profound deafness who used hearing aids prior to implantation. Responses at initial stimulation were of larger amplitude and shorter latency when evoked by the apical electrode. No significant effects of residual hearing or age were found on initial response amplitudes or
latencies. With implant use, responses evoked by both electrodes showed decreases in wave and interwave latencies reflecting decreased neural conduction time through the brainstem. Apical versus basal differences persisted with implant experience with one exception; eIII-eV interlatency differences decreased with implant use. Acute stimulation shows prolongation of basally versus apically evoked auditory nerve and brainstem responses in children with severe to profound
deafness. Interwave latencies reflecting neural conduction along the caudal and rostral portions of the brainstem decreased over the first year of implant use. Differences in neural conduction times evoked by apical versus basal electrode stimulation persisted in the caudal but not rostral brainstem. Activity-dependent changes of the auditory brainstem occur in response to both apical and basal cochlear implant electrode stimulation.
Switching to insulin glargine 300 U/mL: is duration of prior basal insulin therapy important?
Abstract Macrosolen bidoupensis Tagane & V.S.Dang, sp. nov. (Loranthaceae) is newly described from Bidoup Nui Ba National Park in Lam Dong Province, southern Vietnam. The new species is characterized by small broadly elliptic to circular leaves, sessile to short petioles, slightly cordate
to rounded leaf bases, 4–5 pairs of lateral veins and a basally green corolla tube. An illustration, a summary of DNA barcoding of the plastid genes rbcL and matK, and a key to the species of Macrosolen in Vietnam are provided. PMID:28781562
Cognitive inhibitory control, the ability to rapidly suppress responses inappropriate for the context, is essential for flexible and adaptive behavior. While most studies on inhibitory control have focused on the fronto-basal-ganglia circuit, here we explore a novel hypothesis and show that rapid behavioral stopping is enabled by neuronal inhibition in the basal forebrain (BF). In rats performing the stop
signal task, putative noncholinergic BF neurons with phasic bursting responses to the go signal were inhibited nearly completely by the stop signal. The onset of BF neuronal inhibition was tightly coupled with and temporally preceded the latency to stop, the stop signal reaction time. Artificial inhibition of BF activity in the absence of the stop signal was sufficient to reproduce rapid behavioral stopping. These results reveal a novel subcortical mechanism of rapid inhibitory control by the
BF, which provides bidirectional control over the speed of response generation and inhibition. PMID:26368943
Why do leafcutter bees cut leaves? New insights into the early evolution of bees.
Stark contrasts in clade species diversity are reported across the tree of life and are especially conspicuous when observed in closely related lineages. The explanation for such disparity has often been attributed to the evolution of key innovations that facilitate colonization of new ecological niches. The factors underlying diversification in bees remain poorly explored. Bees are thought to
have originated from apoid wasps during the Mid-Cretaceous, a period that coincides with the appearance of angiosperm eudicot pollen grains in the fossil record. The reliance of bees on angiosperm pollen and their fundamental role as angiosperm pollinators have contributed to the idea that both groups may have undergone simultaneous radiations. We demonstrate that one key innovation--the inclusion of foreign material in nest construction--underlies both a massive range expansion and
a significant increase in the rate of diversification within the second largest bee family, Megachilidae. Basal clades within the family are restricted to deserts and exhibit plesiomorphic features rarely observed among modern bees, but prevalent among apoid wasps. Our results suggest that early bees inherited a suite of behavioural traits that acted as powerful evolutionary constraints. While the transition to pollen as a larval food source opened an enormous ecological niche for
the early bees, the exploitation of this niche and the subsequent diversification of bees only became possible after bees had evolved adaptations to overcome these constraints.
Selective attentional enhancement and inhibition of fronto-posterior connectivity by the basal ganglia during
attention switching.
PubMed
van Schouwenburg, Martine R; den Ouden, Hanneke E M; Cools, Roshan
Personalized intensification of insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes - does a basal-bolus regimen suit all patients?
PubMed
Giugliano, D; Sieradzki, J; Stefanski, A; Gentilella, R
2016-08-01
Many
patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) require insulin therapy. If basal insulin fails to achieve glycemic control, insulin intensification is one possible treatment intensification strategy. We summarized clinical data from randomized clinical trials designed to compare the efficacy and safety of basal-bolus and premixed insulin intensification regimens. We defined a between-group difference of ≥0.3% in end-of-study glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as clinically
meaningful. A PubMed database search supplemented by author-identified papers yielded 15 trials which met selection criteria: randomized design, patients with T2DM receiving basal-bolus (bolus injection ≤3 times/day) vs. premixed (≤3 injections/day) insulin regimens, primary/major endpoint(s) HbA1c- and/or hypoglycemia-related, and trial duration ≥12 weeks. Glycemic control improved with both basal-bolus and premixed insulin regimens with - in most cases - acceptable
levels of weight gain and hypoglycemia. A clinically meaningful difference between regimens in glycemic control was recorded in only four comparisons, all of which favored basal-bolus therapy. The incidence of hypoglycemia was significantly different between regimens in only three comparisons, one of which favored premixed insulin and two basal-bolus therapy. Of the four trials that reported a significant difference between regimens in bodyweight change, two favored
basal-bolus therapy and two favored premixed insulin. Thus, on a population level, neither basal-bolus therapy nor premixed insulin showed a consistent advantage in terms of glycemic control, hypoglycemic risk, or bodyweight gain. It is therefore recommended that clinicians should adopt an individualized approach to insulin intensification - taking into account the benefits and risks of each treatment approach and the attitude and preferences of each patient - in the
knowledge that both basal-bolus and premixed regimens may be successful.
Historical harvests reduce neighboring old-growth basal area across a forest landscape.
PubMed
Bell,
David M; Spies, Thomas A; Pabst, Robert
2017-07-01
While advances in remote sensing have made stand, landscape, and regional assessments of the direct impacts of disturbance on forests quite common, the edge influence of timber harvesting on the structure of neighboring unharvested forests has not been examined extensively. In this study, we examine the impact of historical timber harvests on basal area patterns of neighboring old-growth forests to assess the magnitude
and scale of harvest edge influence in a forest landscape of western Oregon, USA. We used lidar data and forest plot measurements to construct 30-m resolution live tree basal area maps in lower and middle elevation mature and old-growth forests. We assessed how edge influence on total, upper canopy, and lower canopy basal area varied across this forest landscape as a function of harvest characteristics (i.e., harvest size and age) and topographic conditions in the
unharvested area. Upper canopy, lower canopy, and total basal area increased with distance from harvest edge and elevation. Forests within 75 m of harvest edges (20% of unharvested forests) had 4% to 6% less live tree basal area compared with forest interiors. An interaction between distance from harvest edge and elevation indicated that elevation altered edge influence in this landscape. We observed a positive edge influence at low elevations (<800 m) and
a negative edge influence at moderate to high elevations (>800 m). Surprisingly, we found no or weak effects of harvest age (13-60 yr) and harvest area (0.2-110 ha) on surrounding unharvested forest basal area, implying that edge influence was relatively insensitive to the scale of disturbance and multi-decadal recovery processes. Our study indicates that the edge influence of past clearcutting on the structure of neighboring uncut old-growth forests is widespread
and persistent. These indirect and diffuse legacies of historical timber harvests complicate forest management decision-making in old-growth forest landscapes by broadening
The rhizoplast of chrysomonads, a basal body-nucleus connector that polarises the dividing spindle.
PubMed
Brugerolle, G; Mignot, J-P
2003-09-01
An ultrastructure study of the rhizoplast in Synura petersenii, Mallomonas fastigiata, and M. insignis shows that it consists of 15-20 striated rootlets that form a claw or an incomplete cone over the nucleus. These rootlets course along one face of the nucleus between the nuclear membrane and the cis-face of the Golgi stack of cisternae. They
converge and merge above the nucleus, forming a stub attached to the proximal section of the two basal bodies. These cross-striated rootlets are composed of closely packed longitudinal microfibrils. By immunofluorescence, the basal bodies and the rootlets forming the claw were decorated by the anti-centrin monoclonal antibody ICL19 raised against the Paramecium tetraurelia acidic centrin protein and by two antibodies raised against the striated parabasal and costal
striated fibres of trichomonads. Only the anti-centrin monoclonal antibody 20H5 raised against Chlamydomonas reinhardtii centrin strongly labelled the 20-22 kDa protein bands from the extracted cytoskeleton of S. petersenii by immunoblotting. Electron micrographs of mitosis in S. petersenii cells revealed that the segregated pairs of basal bodies are linked by the striated rootlets of the rhizoplast to the poles of the mitotic spindle. The spindle microtubules arise perpendicularly
from the striated rootlets of the basal body-nucleus connector forming the centrosome. In conclusion, in these cells there is a basal body-nucleus connector similar to that of C. reinhardtii and other chlorophytes. It contains centrin proteins, it is involved in the linkage of the basal bodies to the nucleus and is a component of the spindle pole body or centrosome in the dividing cell.
Dominant tree species are at risk from exaggerated drought under climate change.
PubMed
Fensham, Roderick J; Fraser, Josie; MacDermott, Harry J; Firn, Jenifer
A new basal galeomorph shark
(Synechodontiformes, Neoselachii) from the Early Jurassic of Europe
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Klug, Stefanie; Kriwet, Jürgen
2008-05-01
Palaeospinacids are a group of basal galeomorph sharks and are placed in the order Synechodontiformes (Chondrichthyes, Neoselachii) ranging from the Permian to the Eocene. Currently, there is a controversy concerning the
identity of diagnostic characters for distinguishing palaeospinacid genera because of very similar dental morphologies and the scarcity of articulated skeletal material. The most notable character for distinguishing species within the Palaeospinacidae is, however, the dental morphology. The main dental character uniting all palaeospinacids is the very specialised pseudopolyaulacorhize root vascularisation. A re-examination of articulated neoselachian skeletons from the Lower
Jurassic of Lyme Regis (England) and Holzmaden (S Germany), and recently discovered specimens from the Upper Jurassic of the Solnhofen area and Nusplingen (S Germany) has yielded several hitherto unrecognised complete skeletons of the palaeospinacids Synechodus and Paraorthacodus enabling a re-evaluation of characters. These specimens indicate that the number of dorsal fins and the presence or absence of dorsal fin spines represent important features for identifying palaeospinacids. Synechodus
bears two dorsal fins without fin spines, whereas Paraorthacodus only has a single dorsal fin lacking a fin spine directly in front of the caudal fin. All palaeospinacids from the Early Jurassic have two spines supporting the dorsal fins and are consequently assigned to a new genus, Palidiplospinax nov. gen. Three species are placed into the new taxon: Synechodus enniskilleni, S. occultidens and S. smithwoodwardi.
The Generic Structure Potential of Science Nonfiction Selections in Four Basal Reading Series, Grades One and Two
ERIC Educational Resources Information
Center
Anthony, Angela Beckman
2009-01-01
Basal reading series are used in a majority of classrooms in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of fiction and nonfiction genres included in four recently published first and second grade basal reading series and to compare the frequencies to studies of older basal reading series. Based on the work of…
Association Analysis of Grain-setting Rates in Apical and Basal Spikelets in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
The rates of grain-setting in apical and basal spikelets in wheat directly affect the kernel number per spike (KNPS). In this study, 220 wheat lines from 18 Chinese provinces and five foreign countries were used as a natural population. Phenotypic analysis showed differences in grain-setting rates between apical and basal spikelets. The broad-sense heritability of
grain-setting rate in apical spikelets (18.7-21.0%) was higher than that for basal spikelets (9.4-16.4%). Significant correlations were found between KNPS and grain numbers in apical (R (2) = 0.40-0.45, P < 0.01) and basal (R (2) = 0.41-0.56, P < 0.01) spikelets. Seventy two of 106 SSR markers were associated with grain setting, 32 for apical spikelets, and 34 for basal spikelets. The SSR loci were located on 17 chromosomes, except 3A, 3D, 4A, and 7D,
and explained 3.7-22.9% of the phenotypic variance. Four markers, Xcfa2153-1A 202 , Xgwm186-5A 118 , Xgwm156-3B 319 , and Xgwm537-7B 210 , showed the largest effects on grain numbers in apical and basal spikelets. High grain numbers in apical and basal spikelets were associated with elite alleles. Ningmai 9, Ning 0569, and Yangmai 18 with high grain-setting rates carried larger numbers of favorable alleles. Comparison of grain numbers in basal and apical
spikelets of 35 Yangmai and Ningmai lines indicated that the Ningmai lines had better grain-setting rates (mean 21.4) than the Yangmai lines (16.5).
A comprehensive interpretation of the NEEM basal ice build-up using a multi-parametric approach
Basal ice is a common expression to describe bottom ice layers of glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets in which the ice is primarily conditioned by processes operating at the bed. It is chemically and/or physically distinct from the ice above
and can be characterized by a component of basally derived sediments. The study of basal ice properties provides a rare opportunity to improve our understanding of subglacial environments and processes and to refine ice sheet behaviour modelling. Here, we present and discuss the results of water stable isotopes (δ18O and δD), ice fabrics, debris weight/size distribution and gas content of the basal part of the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling
Project) ice core. Below a depth of 2533.85 m, almost 10 m of basal debris-rich material was retrieved from the borehole, and regular occurrence of frozen sediments with only interstitial ice lenses in the bottom 5 m suggest that the ice-bedrock interface was reached. The sequence is composed of an alternation of three visually contrasting types of ice: clear ice with specks (very small amounts) of particulate inclusions, stratified debris-rich layers and ice containing dispersed
debris. The use of water stable isotope signatures (δ18O and δD), together with other parameters, allows discrimination between the different types of ice and to unravel the processes involved in their formation and transformation. The basal debris-rich material presents δ18O values [-39.9 ‰; -34.4 ‰] within the range of the above last 300 m of unaltered meteoric ice [-44.9 ‰; -30.6 ‰] spanning a glacial-interglacial range of values. This rules out the hypothesis of a
basal ice layer originating from pre-ice sheet ice overridden by the growing ice sheet, as previously suggested e.g. in the case of GRIP (Greenland Ice Core Project). We show that clear basal ice with specks corresponds to altered meteoric glacial ice where some of the climatic signal could have been preserved. However, the
Basal cortisol levels and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
PubMed
Garcez, Anderson; Leite, Heloísa Marquardt; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Paniz, Vera Maria
Vieira; Watte, Guilherme; Canuto, Raquel; Olinto, Maria Teresa Anselmo
2018-05-17
To perform a qualitative synthesis (systematic review) and quantitative analysis (meta-analysis) to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between basal cortisol levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases for observational studies on the association between basal cortisol levels and
MetS. The quality of individual studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa score. A random effects model was used to report pooled quantitative results and the I 2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. Egger's and Begg's tests were used to evaluate publication bias. Twenty-six studies (19 cross-sectional and seven case-control) met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The majority was classified as having a low risk of bias and used established criteria for the diagnosis of
MetS. Twenty-one studies provided data on basal cortisol levels as continuous values and were included in the meta-analysis; they comprised 35 analyses and 11,808 subjects. Pooled results showed no significant difference in basal cortisol levels between subjects with and without MetS (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.11 to 0.14). There was high heterogeneity between the studies when all comparisons were considered (I 2 = 83.1%;p
< 0.001). Paradoxically, meta-analysis of studies evaluating saliva samples showed no significantly lower basal cortisol levels among subjects with MetS (SMD=-0.18, 95% CI=-0.37 to 0.01), whereas those studies that evaluated serum samples (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI=-0.02 to 0.24) and urine samples (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI=-0.40 to 1.86) showed no significantly higher basal cortisol levels among subjects with MetS. In the subgroup and meta-regression analyses, a significant
difference in basal cortisol levels was observed according to study design, population base, age, gender, cortisol level assessment method, and study quality
A comparison of basal and eye-flush tears for the analysis of cat tear proteins.
PubMed
Petznick, Andrea; Evans, Margaret D M; Madigan, Michele C; Markoulli, Maria; Garrett, Qian; Sweeney, Deborah F
In several organ systems the transitional zone between different types of epithelia is a hotspot for pre-neoplastic metaplasia and malignancy1–3. However, the cell-of-origin for the metaplastic epithelium and subsequent malignancy, remains obscure1–3. In the case of Barrett’s oesophagus (BE), intestinal metaplasia occurs at the gastro-oesophageal junction, where stratified squamous epithelium transitions into simple columnar cells4. Based on different experimental models,
several alternative cell types have been proposed as the source of the metaplasia, but in all cases the evidence is inconclusive and no model completely mimics BE with the presence of intestinal goblet cells5–8. Here, we describe a novel transitional columnar epithelium with distinct basal progenitor cells (p63+ KRT5+ KRT7+) in the squamous-columnar junction (SCJ) in the upper gastrointestinal tract of the mouse. We use multiple models and lineage tracing strategies to show that
this unique SCJ basal cell population serves as a source of progenitors for the transitional epithelium. Moreover, upon ectopic expression of CDX2 these transitional basal progenitors differentiate into intestinal-like epithelium including goblet cells, thus reproducing Barrett’s metaplasia. A similar transitional columnar epithelium is present at the transitional zones of other mouse tissues, including the anorectal junction, and, importantly, at the gastro-oesophageal
junction in the human gut. Acid reflux-induced oesophagitis and the multilayered epithelium (MLE) believed to be a precursor of BE are both characterized by the expansion of the transitional basal progenitor cells. Taken together our findings reveal the presence of a previously unidentified transitional zone in the epithelium of the upper gastrointestinal tract and provide evidence that the p63+ KRT7+ basal cells in this zone are the cell-of-origin for MLE and BE.
PMID:29019984
A new basal sauropodiform dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic of Yunnan Province, China
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Ya-Ming; You, Hai-Lu; Wang, Tao
2017-02-01
The Lufeng Formation in Lufeng Basin of Yunnan Province, southwestern China preserves one of the richest terrestrial Lower Jurassic vertebrate faunas globally, especially for its basal sauropodomorphs, such as Lufengosaurus and Yunnanosaurus. Here we report a new taxon, Xingxiulong chengi gen. et sp. nov. represented by three partial skeletons with overlapping elements. Xingxiulong possesses a number of autapomorphies, such as transversely expanded plate-like summit on top of
the neural spine of posterior dorsal vertebrae, four sacral vertebrae, robust scapula, and elongated pubic plate approximately 40% of the total length of the pubis. Phylogenetic analysis resolves Xingxiulong as a basal member of Sauropodiformes, and together with another two Lufeng basal sauropodiforms Jingshanosaurus and Yunnanosaurus, they represent the basalmost lineages of this clade, indicating its Asian origin. Although being relatively primitive, Xingxiulong
displays some derived features normally occurred in advanced sauropodiforms including sauropods, such as a four sacral-sacrum, a robust scapula, and a pubis with elongated pubic plate. The discovery of Xingxiulong increases the diversity of basal sauropodomorphs from the Lufeng Formation and indicates a more complicated scenario in the early evolution of sauropodiforms.
Attentional validity effect across the human menstrual cycle varies with basal temperature changes.
PubMed
Beaudoin, Jessica; Marrocco, Richard
2005-03-07
This study examined the correlation
between covert attention and basal temperature change during menstrual cycle phase in 22 adult females. Previous work showing beneficial effects of estrogen on working memory led us to hypothesize that attentional function would be facilitated at the apparent time of ovulation. Menstrual phase was determined through questionnaires and objective measurements of basal body temperature (BBT) spikes over a 1 month period. The cued target detection (CTD) task was used to
assess visuospatial attentional performance at three times during the menstrual cycle. The mean reaction times (RTs) to visual targets were measured as a function of menstrual cycle phase, cue type and target location. As predicted, the onset of ovulation showed decreased reaction times and a significant increase in the cue validity effect on the days immediately preceding and following ovulation. The magnitude of the attention validity effect was negatively correlated with the
basal temperature rise. Women lacking basal temperature shifts failed to show these changes. Results support the conclusion that the natural fluctuations of body temperature, and possibly reproductive hormones, during the menstrual cycle may enhance the attentional component of cognitive performance.
Elevated basal serum tryptase identifies a multisystem disorder associated with increased TPSAB1 copy number.
PubMed
Lyons, Jonathan J; Yu, Xiaomin; Hughes, Jason D; Le, Quang T; Jamil, Ali; Bai, Yun;
Ho, Nancy; Zhao, Ming; Liu, Yihui; O'Connell, Michael P; Trivedi, Neil N; Nelson, Celeste; DiMaggio, Thomas; Jones, Nina; Matthews, Helen; Lewis, Katie L; Oler, Andrew J; Carlson, Ryan J; Arkwright, Peter D; Hong, Celine; Agama, Sherene; Wilson, Todd M; Tucker, Sofie; Zhang, Yu; McElwee, Joshua J; Pao, Maryland; Glover, Sarah C; Rothenberg, Marc E; Hohman, Robert J; Stone, Kelly D; Caughey, George H; Heller, Theo; Metcalfe, Dean D; Biesecker, Leslie G; Schwartz, Lawrence B; Milner, Joshua D
2016-12-01
Elevated basal serum tryptase levels are present in 4-6% of the general population, but the cause and relevance of such increases are unknown. Previously, we described subjects with dominantly inherited elevated basal serum tryptase levels associated with multisystem complaints including cutaneous flushing and pruritus, dysautonomia, functional gastrointestinal symptoms, chronic pain, and connective tissue abnormalities, including joint
hypermobility. Here we report the identification of germline duplications and triplications in the TPSAB1 gene encoding α-tryptase that segregate with inherited increases in basal serum tryptase levels in 35 families presenting with associated multisystem complaints. Individuals harboring alleles encoding three copies of α-tryptase had higher basal serum levels of tryptase and were more symptomatic than those with alleles encoding two copies, suggesting a gene-dose
effect. Further, we found in two additional cohorts (172 individuals) that elevated basal serum tryptase levels were exclusively associated with duplication of α-tryptase-encoding sequence in TPSAB1, and affected individuals reported symptom complexes seen in our initial familial cohort. Thus, our findings link duplications in TPSAB1 with irritable bowel syndrome, cutaneous complaints, connective tissue abnormalities, and dysautonomia.
Two appendages homologous between basal bodies and centrioles are formed using distinct Odf2 domains
Ciliogenesis is regulated by context-dependent cellular cues, including some transduced through appendage-like structures on ciliary basal bodies called transition fibers and basal feet. However, the molecular basis for this regulation is not fully understood. The Odf2 gene product, ODF2/cenexin, is essential for both ciliogenesis and the
formation of the distal and subdistal appendages on centrioles, which become basal bodies. We examined the effects of Odf2 deletion constructs on ciliogenesis in Odf2-knockout F9 cells. Electron microscopy revealed that ciliogenesis and transition fiber formation required the ODF2/cenexin fragment containing amino acids (aa) 188–806, whereas basal foot formation required aa 1–59 and 188–806. These sequences also formed distal and subdistal appendages, respectively,
indicating that the centriole appendages are molecularly analogous to those on basal bodies. We used the differential formation of appendages by Odf2 deletion constructs to study the incorporation and function of molecules associated with each appendage type. We found that transition fibers and distal appendages were required for ciliogenesis and subdistal appendages stabilized the centrosomal microtubules. PMID:24189274
Are the Teachers' Manuals in Basal Readers Helpful for Discussing Race in Multicultural Stories?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McDermott, Peter; And Others
A
study examined the usefulness of the instructional recommendations in basal reader program teachers' manuals for discussing race in multicultural stories. Three recently published basal reader series widely used in the Capital District of New York State were used in this analysis: Harcourt Brace (1995), Houghton Mifflin (1993), and MacMillan…
Basal p53 expression is indispensable for mesenchymal stem cell integrity.
PubMed
Boregowda, Siddaraju V; Krishnappa, Veena; Strivelli, Jacqueline; Haga, Christopher L; Booker, Cori N; Phinney, Donald
G
2018-03-01
Marrow-resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) serve as a functional component of the perivascular niche that regulates hematopoiesis. They also represent the main source of bone formed in adult bone marrow, and their bifurcation to osteoblast and adipocyte lineages plays a key role in skeletal homeostasis and aging. Although the tumor suppressor p53 also functions in bone organogenesis, homeostasis, and neoplasia, its role in MSCs remains poorly described. Herein, we examined
the normal physiological role of p53 in primary MSCs cultured under physiologic oxygen levels. Using knockout mice and gene silencing we show that p53 inactivation downregulates expression of TWIST2, which normally restrains cellular differentiation to maintain wild-type MSCs in a multipotent state, depletes mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and suppresses ROS generation and PPARG gene and protein induction in response to adipogenic stimuli. Mechanistically, this
loss of adipogenic potential skews MSCs toward an osteogenic fate, which is further potentiated by TWIST2 downregulation, resulting in highly augmented osteogenic differentiation. We also show that p53 - /- MSCs are defective in supporting hematopoiesis as measured in standard colony assays because of decreased secretion of various cytokines including CXCL12 and CSF1. Lastly, we show that transient exposure of wild-type MSCs to 21% oxygen upregulates p53 protein expression, resulting in
increased mitochondrial ROS production and enhanced adipogenic differentiation at the expense of osteogenesis, and that treatment of cells with FGF2 mitigates these effects by inducing TWIST2. Together, these findings indicate that basal p53 levels are necessary to maintain MSC bi-potency, and oxygen-induced increases in p53 expression modulate cell fate and survival decisions. Because of the critical function of basal p53 in MSCs, our findings question the use of p53
null cell lines as MSC surrogates, and also implicate dysfunctional
Phene Synergism between Root Hair Length and Basal Root Growth Angle for Phosphorus Acquisition1[OPEN
PubMed Central
Miguel, Magalhaes Amade
2015-01-01
Shallow basal root growth angle (BRGA) increases phosphorus acquisition efficiency by enhancing topsoil foraging because in most soils, phosphorus is concentrated in the topsoil. Root hair length and density (RHL/D) increase phosphorus acquisition by expanding the soil volume subject to phosphorus depletion through diffusion. We
hypothesized that shallow BRGA and large RHL/D are synergetic for phosphorus acquisition, meaning that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. To evaluate this hypothesis, phosphorus acquisition in the field in Mozambique was compared among recombinant inbred lines of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) having four distinct root phenotypes: long root hairs and shallow basal roots, long root hairs and deep basal roots, short root hairs and
shallow basal roots, and short root hairs and deep basal roots. The results revealed substantial synergism between BRGA and RHL/D. Compared with short-haired, deep-rooted phenotypes, long root hairs increased shoot biomass under phosphorus stress by 89%, while shallow roots increased shoot biomass by 58%. Genotypes with both long root hairs and shallow roots had 298% greater biomass accumulation than short-haired, deep-rooted phenotypes. Therefore, the utility of
shallow basal roots and long root hairs for phosphorus acquisition in combination is twice as large as their additive effects. We conclude that the anatomical phene of long, dense root hairs and the architectural phene of shallower basal root growth are synergetic for phosphorus acquisition. Phene synergism may be common in plant biology and can have substantial importance for plant fitness, as shown here. PMID:25699587
Basal Topography of the South Polar Layered Deposits
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Davies, C. W.; Murray, B. C.; Byrne, S.
2004-12-01
The ice inferred to comprise the south polar
layered deposits (SPLD) represents a significant fraction of the total water reservoir of the planet. The basal topography of these deposits is currently unconstrained but may be expected to contain considerable relief based on the heavily cratered nature of the surrounding terrain. In this work we report on our efforts to characterize the overall nature of this basal topography and in so doing better constrain the volume of this important volatile reservoir. Our
approach has been to measure elevations at the periphery of the SPLD (defined by [1]) and use various interpolation techniques to estimate the basal topography. We used 1300 control points from the edges and areas surrounding the SPLD and included extensive control points from within the Chasmae and other features to fit a surface beneath the SPLD. No assumptions were made about any lithospheric flexure, nor did the results suggest that possibility. We first tested a variety of
surface interpolation routines on a comparable area of cratered terrain immediately adjacent to the SPLD, using the same spatial distribution of 1300 height control points as we used for the SPLD itself, and found that the topography was broadly reproducible (ignoring craters) to within a few hundred meters. The SPLD basal topography we derive can be subtracted from the current spatial topography to produce isopach maps of the layered deposits. All interpolation methods we tested
(within the ArcMap 8.3) indicate a lower total SPLD volume than that previous published [Smith et al., 2001]. Our best estimate for the SPLD volume is ~1 million km3, with a formal error in volume of ~5%, corresponding to an average thickness of ~950 meters. In comparison, [2] estimated this volume to be ~1.2-1.7 million km3. The Prometheus impact basin is present as a rimmed depression, consistent with the inference by [3]. More unexpected is the presence of a broad ridge underlying nearly the
entire eastern
Opponent and bidirectional control of movement velocity in the basal ganglia
PubMed Central
Yttri, Eric
A.
2016-01-01
For goal-directed behavior it is critical that we can both select the appropriate action and learn to modify the underlying movements (e.g. the pitch of a note or velocity of a reach) to improve outcomes. The basal ganglia are a critical nexus where circuits necessary for the production of behavior, such as neocortex and thalamus, are integrated with reward signaling 1 to reinforce successful, purposive actions 2. Dorsal striatum, a major input structure of
basal ganglia is composed of two opponent pathways, direct and indirect, thought to select actions that elicit positive outcomes or suppress actions that do not, respectively 3,4. Activity-dependent plasticity modulated by reward is thought to be sufficient for selecting actions in striatum 5,6. Although perturbations of basal ganglia function produce profound changes in movement 7, it remains unknown whether activity-dependent plasticity is sufficient to produce
learned changes in movement kinematics, such as velocity. Here we used cell-type specific stimulation delivered in closed-loop during movement to demonstrate that activity in either the direct or indirect pathway is sufficient to produce specific and sustained increases or decreases in velocity without affecting action selection or motivation. These behavioral changes were a form of learning that accumulated over trials, persisted after the cessation of stimulation, and were abolished in the
presence of dopamine antagonists. Our results reveal that the direct and indirect pathways can each bidirectionally control movement velocity, demonstrating unprecedented specificity and flexibility in the control of volition by the basal ganglia. PMID:27135927
A Basal Stem
Canker of Sugar Maple
Treesearch
Kenneth J. Jr. Kessler
1969-01-01
A basal stem canker of sugar maple is common on trees in lightly stocked stands and on trees on the north side of roads and other clearings in the Lake States. The cankers are usually elongate, usually encompass about one-fourth of the stem circumference, and face the south. Most cankers originate following logging of
old-growth stands on stems that had been present...
Basal and dynamic relationships between implicit power motivation and estradiol in women.
PubMed
Stanton, Steven J; Schultheiss,
Oliver C
2007-12-01
This study investigated basal and reciprocal relationships between implicit power motivation (n Power), a preference for having impact and dominance over others, and both salivary estradiol and testosterone in women. 49 participants completed the Picture Story Exercise, a measure of n Power. During a laboratory contest, participants competed in pairs on a cognitive task and contest outcome (win vs. loss) was experimentally varied. Estradiol and
testosterone levels were determined in saliva samples collected at baseline and several times post-contest, including 1 day post-contest. n Power was positively associated with basal estradiol concentrations. The positive correlation between n Power and basal estradiol was stronger in single women, women not taking oral contraceptives, or in women with low-CV estradiol samples than in the overall sample of women. Women's estradiol responses to a dominance contest were
influenced by the interaction of n Power and contest outcome: estradiol increased in power-motivated winners but decreased in power-motivated losers. For power-motivated winners, elevated levels of estradiol were still present the day after the contest. Lastly, n Power and estradiol did not correlate with self-reported dominance and correlated negatively with self-reported aggression. Self-reported dominance and aggression did not predict estradiol changes as a function of contest outcome.
Overall, n Power did not predict basal testosterone levels or testosterone changes as a function of dominance contest outcome.
Changing basal conditions during the speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Habermann, M.; Truffer, M.; Maxwell, D.
2013-11-01
Ice-sheet outlet glaciers can undergo dynamic changes such as the rapid speed-up of Jakobshavn Isbræ following the disintegration of its floating ice tongue. These changes are associated with stress changes on the boundary of the ice mass. We invert for basal conditions from surface velocity data
throughout a well-observed period of rapid change and evaluate parameterizations currently used in ice-sheet models. A Tikhonov inverse method with a shallow-shelf approximation forward model is used for diagnostic inversions for the years 1985, 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2008. Our ice-softness, model norm, and regularization parameter choices are justified using the data-model misfit metric and the L curve method. The sensitivity of the inversion results to these parameter choices is explored. We
find a lowering of effective basal yield stress in the first 7 km upstream from the 2008 grounding line and no significant changes higher upstream. The temporal evolution in the fast flow area is in broad agreement with a Mohr-Coulomb parameterization of basal shear stress, but with a till friction angle much lower than has been measured for till samples. The lowering of effective basal yield stress is significant within the uncertainties of the inversion,
but it cannot be ruled out that there are other significant contributors to the acceleration of the glacier.
Tazarotene-induced gene 3 is suppressed in basal cell carcinomas and reversed in vivo by tazarotene application.
Basal cell carcinomas are the most common form of skin cancer. Tazarotene is a retinoic acid receptor selective retinoid that upregulates a tumor suppressor, tazarotene-induced gene 3 (TIG-3), in keratinocytes and psoriasis.
Expression of TIG-3 in basal cell carcinomas was studied in an opened-label pilot biomarker study of 22 patients with basal cell carcinomas who applied tazarotene 0.1% gel for up to 12 wk prior to excision. Nineteen paired baseline and treated specimens were compared using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Compared to overlying normal epidermis, TIG-3 protein and mRNA were decreased in 14 and 18 of 19 basal cell carcinomas (74% and 95%),
respectively (p < 0.001). Tazarotene treatment was associated with increased TIG-3 protein and mRNA expression in basal cell carcinomas compared to baseline levels (p < or = 0.001 and p = 0.028, respectively). Sixty percent of basal cell carcinomas treated with tazarotene decreased in size by at least 25%. Ten of 19 lesions improved histologically, including three complete responses. There was a correlation between the increased expression of TIG-3 protein and
histologic improvement (p = 0.020), suggesting that suppression of TIG-3 may underlie the development of basal cell carcinomas. This association suggests that reversal of TIG-3 expression may help to explain the mechanism of retinoid action in epidermal differentiation and chemoprevention.
[Descriptive study on basal cell eyelid carcinoma].
Basal Freeze-on: An Active Component of Hydrology from the Ice Divide to the Margin
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bell, R. E.; Tinto, K. J.; Abdi, A.; Creyts, T. T.; Wolovick, M.; Das, I.;
Ferraccioli, F.; Csatho, B. M.
2012-12-01
Subglacial hydrology is considered a key control of ice sheet dynamics. Here we show that basal freeze-on is a process that can terminate basal hydrologic networks both in the interior of East Antarctica and at the margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Basal freeze-on modifies the ice thickness, ice structure, and ice rheology and therefore must be considered in developing accurate understanding of how
hydrology interacts with ice dynamics. In East Antarctica, the freeze-on process follows well-defined hydrologic networks within Gamburtsev Mountain valleys. The steep mountain topography strongly controls the routing of the subglacial water. Ice surface slope drives the water up the mountain valleys and freeze-on occurs at the valley heads. Freeze-on ice is characterized by distinct basal radar reflectors that emerge from the hydrologic network. Evidence that these spatially
coherent reflectors demark accreted ice is the upward deflection of the overlying internal layers accompanied by thickening of base of the ice sheet. Individual accretion bodies can be 25 km wide across flow, 100 km along flow with average thicknesses of ~500m although the maximum thickness is 1100m. Regional accumulation rates near the accretion sites average 4cm/yr with low ice velocity (1.5 m/yr). The volume of the ice enclosed by the accretion ice reflectors is 45-1064 km3. The accretion
occurs beneath 2200-3000m thick ice and has been persistent for at least 50,000yr. Other basal reflectors in northern Greenland appear in radar from NASA's Icebridge mission and CRESIS. To identify freeze-on ice, we use specific criteria: reflectors must originate from the bed, must be spatially continuous from line to line and the meteoric stratigraphy is deflected upward. The absence of coincident gravity anomalies indicates these reflectors define distinct packages of ice rather
than frozen sediment or off-nadir subglacial topography. In the Petermann Glacier Catchment, one of the largest in northern
Growth after thinning a 35-year-old natural stand to different loblolly pine and hardwood basal areas
Treesearch
Michael G. Shelton; Paul A. Murphy
1997-01-01
Growth was monitored for 4 years in a thinned stand in southern Arkansas with three pine basal areas (70, 85, and 100 ft2/ac) and three hardwood basal areas (0, 15, and 30 ft2/ac); pretreatment basal areasaveraged 119 and 33 ft2/ac for pines and hardwoods, respectively.Treatments were arranged in a 3 x 3 factorial...
Activity of Heat Shock Genes’ Promoters in Thermally Contrasting Animal Species
PubMed Central
Astakhova, Lyubov N.;
Zatsepina, Olga G.; Funikov, Sergei Yu.; Zelentsova, Elena S.; Schostak, Natalia G.; Orishchenko, Konstantin E.; Evgen’ev, Michael B.; Garbuz, David G.
2015-01-01
Heat shock gene promoters represent a highly conserved and universal system for the rapid induction of transcription after various stressful stimuli. We chose pairs of mammalian and insect species that significantly differ in their thermoresistance and constitutive levels of Hsp70 to compare hsp promoter
strength under normal conditions and after heat shock (HS). The first pair includes the HSPA1 gene promoter of camel (Camelus dromedarius) and humans. It was demonstrated that the camel HSPA1A and HSPA1L promoters function normally in vitro in human cell cultures and exceed the strength of orthologous human promoters under basal conditions. We used the same in vitro assay for Drosophila melanogaster Schneider-2 (S2) cells to compare the activity of the hsp70 and hsp83 promoters of
the second species pair represented by Diptera, i.e., Stratiomys singularior and D. melanogaster, which dramatically differ in thermoresistance and the pattern of Hsp70 accumulation. Promoter strength was also monitored in vivo in D. melanogaster strains transformed with constructs containing the S. singularior hsp70 ORF driven either by its own promoter or an orthologous promoter from the D. melanogaster hsp70Aa gene. Analysis revealed low S. singularior hsp70 promoter activity in
vitro and in vivo under basal conditions and after HS in comparison with the endogenous promoter in D. melanogaster cells, which correlates with the absence of canonical GAGA elements in the promoters of the former species. Indeed, the insertion of GAGA elements into the S. singularior hsp70 regulatory region resulted in a dramatic increase in promoter activity in vitro but only modestly enhanced the promoter strength in the larvae of the transformed strains. In
contrast with hsp70 promoters, hsp83 promoters from both of the studied Diptera species demonstrated high conservation and universality. PMID:25700087
Expression analysis of the speech-related genes FoxP1 and FoxP2 and their relation to singing behavior in two songbird
species.
PubMed
Chen, Qianqian; Heston, Jonathan B; Burkett, Zachary D; White, Stephanie A
2013-10-01
Humans and songbirds are among the rare animal groups that exhibit socially learned vocalizations: speech and song, respectively. These vocal-learning capacities share a reliance on audition and cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, as well as
neurogenetic mechanisms. Notably, the transcription factors Forkhead box proteins 1 and 2 (FoxP1, FoxP2) exhibit similar expression patterns in the cortex and basal ganglia of humans and the zebra finch species of songbird, among other brain regions. Mutations in either gene are associated with language disorders in humans. Experimental knock-down of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia song control region Area X during song development leads to imprecise copying of
tutor songs. Moreover, FoxP2 levels decrease naturally within Area X when zebra finches sing. Here, we examined neural expression patterns of FoxP1 and FoxP2 mRNA in adult Bengalese finches, a songbird species whose songs exhibit greater sequence complexity and increased reliance on audition for maintaining their quality. We found that FoxP1 and FoxP2 expression in Bengalese finches is similar to that in zebra finches, including strong mRNA signals for both factors in multiple song
control nuclei and enhancement of FoxP1 in these regions relative to surrounding brain tissue. As with zebra finches, when Bengalese finches sing, FoxP2 is behaviorally downregulated within basal ganglia Area X over a similar time course, and expression negatively correlates with the amount of singing. This study confirms that in multiple songbird species, FoxP1 expression highlights song control regions, and regulation of FoxP2 is associated with motor control of
song.
Expression analysis of the speech-related genes FoxP1 and FoxP2 and their relation to singing behavior in two songbird species
PubMed Central
Chen, Qianqian; Heston, Jonathan B.; Burkett, Zachary D.; White, Stephanie A.
2013-01-01
SUMMARY Humans and songbirds are among the rare animal groups that exhibit socially learned vocalizations: speech and song, respectively. These vocal-learning capacities share a reliance on audition and cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, as well as neurogenetic mechanisms. Notably, the
transcription factors Forkhead box proteins 1 and 2 (FoxP1, FoxP2) exhibit similar expression patterns in the cortex and basal ganglia of humans and the zebra finch species of songbird, among other brain regions. Mutations in either gene are associated with language disorders in humans. Experimental knock-down of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia song control region Area X during song development leads to imprecise copying of tutor songs. Moreover, FoxP2 levels
decrease naturally within Area X when zebra finches sing. Here, we examined neural expression patterns of FoxP1 and FoxP2 mRNA in adult Bengalese finches, a songbird species whose songs exhibit greater sequence complexity and increased reliance on audition for maintaining their quality. We found that FoxP1 and FoxP2 expression in Bengalese finches is similar to that in zebra finches, including strong mRNA signals for both factors in multiple song control nuclei and enhancement of
FoxP1 in these regions relative to surrounding brain tissue. As with zebra finches, when Bengalese finches sing, FoxP2 is behaviorally downregulated within basal ganglia Area X over a similar time course, and expression negatively correlates with the amount of singing. This study confirms that in multiple songbird species, FoxP1 expression highlights song control regions, and regulation of FoxP2 is associated with motor control of song. PMID:24006346
Reduced nocturnal hypoglycaemia with basal insulin peglispro compared with insulin glargine: pooled analyses of five randomized controlled trials.
PubMed
Rosenstock, Julio; Marre, Michel; Qu, Yongming;
Zhang, Shuyu; Bastyr, Edward J; Prince, Melvin J; Chang, Annette M
Description of a new species of Isagoras Stål (Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae: Xerosomatinae: Prexaspini) from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
PubMed
Heleodoro, Raphael Aquino; Rafael, JosÉ
Albertino
2018-02-11
Isagoras aurocaudata sp. nov. is being described from two female specimens from the States of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Diagnostic characters for the new species are the yellowish compound eye with brown spots, the yellowish spot at basal third of tegmina and the yellowish abdomen segments 8-11. Furthermore, Isagoras aurocaudata sp. nov. is compared to species of Isagoras Stål and Planudes Stål.
Basal brain oxidative and nitrative stress levels are finely regulated by the interplay between superoxide dismutase 2 and p53.
PubMed
Barone, Eugenio; Cenini, Giovanna; Di Domenico, Fabio; Noel, Teresa;
Wang, Chi; Perluigi, Marzia; St Clair, Daret K; Butterfield, D Allan
Large
basal crevasses as a proxy for historic subglacial flooding events on Byrd Glacier
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Child, S. F.; Stearns, L. A.; van der Veen, C. J.; Hamilton, G. S.
2016-12-01
Active networks of subglacial lakes have recently been found beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. On Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica, a subglacial lake outburst event in 2005/07 led
to a short-lived glacier acceleration. Due to the sparse record of historical observations, it is unclear how frequently these outburst events occur, and the role they play in the dynamics of Antarctic outlet glaciers. Crevasses form when the tensile stress is greater than the fracture strength of ice. High extensional strain rates often exist at the grounding line where grounded ice begins to float. We hypothesize that the formation of anomalously large basal crevasses coincides
with the higher strain rates observed during flooding events. In this study, we use the location of large basal crevasses ( 330 m tall), located along the floating portion of the Byrd Glacier flowline, to create a timeline of past flooding events. We first model crevasse formation to demonstrate that basal crevasses likely form at the grounding line. To do this, we use linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to estimate crevasse heights based on strain rates during
known flood (300-350 m) and non-flood (100-150 m) time periods at Byrd Glacier's grounding line. Basal crevasse locations and heights are determined directly from radar echograms (2011/12 CReSIS radar data and 1974/75 SPRI NSF TUD radar data) along the Byrd Glacier flowline. We also use the locations of large surface depressions to infer the presence of basal crevasses. When crevasses penetrate a threshold proportion of the ice column, the overlying ice is no longer
supported and a surface depression forms. We identify 22 large basal crevasses through these combined methods; the oldest crevasse likely formed 600 years ago. This research provides a framework of Antarctic subglacial flooding frequency and the effects that subglacial water drainage events have on outlet glacier dynamics.
