Effect of lycium barbarum (wolfberry) polysaccharides on preserving retinal function after partial optic nerve transection

published_or_final_versio

Evaluation of Nutritional Quality and Haematological Parameters of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Lam Leaves in the Diet of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaves on the growth performance and haematological parameters of Clarias gariepinus juveniles. Five treatments were used and 10 Clarias gariepinus juveniles with mean weight (19.00±0.50g) per tank each in triplicate. The five treatment tanks were fed with five isonitrogenous diets containing 40% crude protein with varying inclusion of Moringa oleifera (control diet with 0% Moringa oleifera, 4.1g Moringa oleifera inclusion, 8.2g Moringa oleifera inclusion, 12.3g Moringa oleifera inclusion and 16.39g Moringa oleifera inclusion). The fishes were fed twice daily for an experimental period of 12 weeks. The fish in tank T (4.1g inclusion of Moringa oleifera) had the best weight gain with 2 range 27.67±0.60. The specific growth rate was highest in fish in tank T (0.96±0.01). The fish fed 2 4.1g M.oleifera inclusion had the best feed conversion ratio (1.36±0.03). The highest feed intake (15.11±0.00) was found in fish fed with 4.1g M.oleifera inclusion. The protein efficiency ratio was higher in fish fed with 4.1g M. oleifera with range 1.83±0.04. Percentage weight gain was higher in fish fed 4.1g M. oleifera with range 142.00±3.06.There was no significant difference in the growth performance of all the treatment. No mortality was recorded in all experimental tanks. The Fish fed with M. oleifera showed increase in the haematological values of Packed Cell Volume (PCV), (27.38±3.06), Haemoglobin, (HGB), (8.33 ±1.01), Red blood cell, (RBC), (2.48±0.21) and white blood cell, (WBC), (220.56±9.75) compared to the values of fish fed control diet with PCV (13.87±9.40), HGB (5.03±2.70), RBC (1.25±0.85) and WBC (149.60±64.28). The white blood cell (WBC) shows no significant difference (P>0.05) among the fish in tanks T , T , T , and T (25%, 1 2 3 4 50%, 75% and 100% inclusion of M. oleifera respectively) but they were significantly different(P<0.05) from the fish in the tank T (control tank).There was reduction in the haematological 0 values of the fish fed M.oleifera diet with Mean cell haemoglobin concentration, (MCHC), (28.90±6.62) and the Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin, (MCH) (32.64±7.32) compared to the values of fish fed the control diet with MCHC (39.24±13.98) and MCH (44.00±17.12). It was concluded that using M.oleifera leaves as feed for Clarias gariepinus enhances the growth of the fish and has no negative impact on the health status of the fish. Therefore partial replacement of feed with M.oleifera should be encouraged.Keywords: Bio indicator, Heamatology, Moringa oleifera, Clarias gariepinu

Cellulolytic Bacteria in the foregut of the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Foregut digesta from five feral dromedary camels were inoculated into three different enrichment media: cotton thread, filter paper, and neutral detergent fiber. A total of 283 16S rRNA gene sequences were assigned to 33 operational taxonomic units by using 99% species-level identity. LIBSHUFF revealed significant differences in the community composition across all three libraries

Second trimester inflammatory and metabolic markers in women delivering preterm with and without preeclampsia.

ObjectiveInflammatory and metabolic pathways are implicated in preterm birth and preeclampsia. However, studies rarely compare second trimester inflammatory and metabolic markers between women who deliver preterm with and without preeclampsia.Study designA sample of 129 women (43 with preeclampsia) with preterm delivery was obtained from an existing population-based birth cohort. Banked second trimester serum samples were assayed for 267 inflammatory and metabolic markers. Backwards-stepwise logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios.ResultsHigher 5-α-pregnan-3β,20α-diol disulfate, and lower 1-linoleoylglycerophosphoethanolamine and octadecanedioate, predicted increased odds of preeclampsia.ConclusionsAmong women with preterm births, those who developed preeclampsia differed with respect metabolic markers. These findings point to potential etiologic underpinnings for preeclampsia as a precursor to preterm birth

Peptide exchange on MHC-I by TAPBPR is driven by a negative allostery release cycle.

Chaperones TAPBPR and tapasin associate with class I major histocompatibility complexes (MHC-I) to promote optimization (editing) of peptide cargo. Here, we use solution NMR to investigate the mechanism of peptide exchange. We identify TAPBPR-induced conformational changes on conserved MHC-I molecular surfaces, consistent with our independently determined X-ray structure of the complex. Dynamics present in the empty MHC-I are stabilized by TAPBPR and become progressively dampened with increasing peptide occupancy. Incoming peptides are recognized according to the global stability of the final pMHC-I product and anneal in a native-like conformation to be edited by TAPBPR. Our results demonstrate an inverse relationship between MHC-I peptide occupancy and TAPBPR binding affinity, wherein the lifetime and structural features of transiently bound peptides control the regulation of a conformational switch located near the TAPBPR binding site, which triggers TAPBPR release. These results suggest a similar mechanism for the function of tapasin in the peptide-loading complex

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Community assessment to advance computational prediction of cancer drug combinations in a pharmacogenomic screen

The effectiveness of most cancer targeted therapies is short-lived. Tumors often develop resistance that might be overcome with drug combinations. However, the number of possible combinations is vast, necessitating data-driven approaches to find optimal patient-specific treatments. Here we report AstraZeneca's large drug combination dataset, consisting of 11,576 experiments from 910 combinations across 85 molecularly characterized cancer cell lines, and results of a DREAM Challenge to evaluate computational strategies for predicting synergistic drug pairs and biomarkers. 160 teams participated to provide a comprehensive methodological development and benchmarking. Winning methods incorporate prior knowledge of drug-target interactions. Synergy is predicted with an accuracy matching biological replicates for >60% of combinations. However, 20% of drug combinations are poorly predicted by all methods. Genomic rationale for synergy predictions are identified, including ADAM17 inhibitor antagonism when combined with PIK3CB/D inhibition contrasting to synergy when combined with other PI3K-pathway inhibitors in PIK3CA mutant cells

Asteroseismology and Interferometry

Asteroseismology provides us with a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. Recent developments, including the first systematic studies of solar-like pulsators, have boosted the impact of this field of research within Astrophysics and have led to a significant increase in the size of the research community. In the present paper we start by reviewing the basic observational and theoretical properties of classical and solar-like pulsators and present results from some of the most recent and outstanding studies of these stars. We centre our review on those classes of pulsators for which interferometric studies are expected to provide a significant input. We discuss current limitations to asteroseismic studies, including difficulties in mode identification and in the accurate determination of global parameters of pulsating stars, and, after a brief review of those aspects of interferometry that are most relevant in this context, anticipate how interferometric observations may contribute to overcome these limitations. Moreover, we present results of recent pilot studies of pulsating stars involving both asteroseismic and interferometric constraints and look into the future, summarizing ongoing efforts concerning the development of future instruments and satellite missions which are expected to have an impact in this field of research.Comment: Version as published in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, Volume 14, Issue 3-4, pp. 217-36