Tidally controlled stick-slip discharge of a West Antarctic ice

A major West Antarctic ice stream discharges by sudden and brief periods of very rapid motion paced by oceanic tidal oscillations of about 1 meter. Acceleration to speeds greater than 1 meter per hour and deceleration back to a stationary state occur in minutes or less. Slip propagates at approximately 88 meters per second, suggestive of a shear wave traveling within the subglacial till. A model of an episodically slipping friction-locked fault reproduces the observed quasi-periodic event timing, demonstrating an ice stream's ability to change speed rapidly and its extreme sensitivity to subglacial conditions and variations in sea level.     

Orchestration of the DNA-damage response by the RNF8 ubiquitin ligase

Cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks by recruiting factors such as the DNA-damage mediator protein MDC1, the p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1), and the breast cancer susceptibility protein BRCA1 to sites of damaged DNA. Here, we reveal that the ubiquitin ligase RNF8 mediates ubiquitin conjugation and 53BP1 and BRCA1 focal accumulation at sites of DNA lesions. Moreover, we establish that MDC1 recruits RNF8 through phosphodependent interactions between the RNF8 forkhead-associated domain and motifs in MDC1 that are phosphorylated by the DNA-damage activated protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM). We also show that depletion of the E2 enzyme UBC13 impairs 53BP1 recruitment to sites of damage, which suggests that it cooperates with RNF8. Finally, we reveal that RNF8 promotes the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint and resistance to ionizing radiation. These results demonstrate how the DNA-damage response is orchestrated by ATM-dependent phosphorylation of MDC1 and RNF8-mediated ubiquitination.     

Tests for the depolymerization of polyacrylamides as a potential source of acrylamide in heated foods

This study was conducted to test the possibility that polyacrylamides used in agriculture may contribute to acrylamide formation in heated foods by thermal depolymerization. Two samples of polyacrylamide with low molecular weights of 1.5 and 10 kDa were used to test for in-chain and end-chain depolymerization. They were added as aqueous solutions to filter paper for heating in a drying/dry environment and added to a cooking oil for heating in a fatty environment. The heating conditions were 175 degrees C for 15 and 30 min, respectively. Both regimens were tested in the absence and presence of the redox-active metal ions Fe(III) and Cu(II), and all tests were conducted without the exclusion of atmospheric oxygen. There was no evidence of any significant depolymerization of polyacrylamide to free acrylamide monomer, <0.04%. In fact, residual levels of acrylamide present already in the low molecular weight polymers were seen to fall by 50-80% on heating. Consequently, it is concluded that even if polyacrylamides were to contaminate agricultural crops and foods derived therefrom (which itself is an unproven suggestion), there is no evidence that the polymers would depolymerize on heating of the food to form acrylamide in any significant amount.     

Marine Fish Larvae Feeding: Formulated Diets or Live Prey?

In the rearing of larval marine fish, any diet that reduces dependance on live prey production is of technical and economic interest. Weaning juveniles with a completely developed digestive tract to a conventional diet, (i.e., "late weaning") can be successful in any marine fish species. For example, weaning one-month-old sea bass (20 mg) to the study's reference diet, Sevbar, resulted in over 85% survival (40% from hatching) and 1.25 g fish at day 90 (at 19 C)
In contrast, "early weaning" of larvae to special microdiets during the first month is still difficult. The best way to reduce live prey utilization in sea bass is to wean larvae at about 3–4 mg in size (day 20). If weaning could be accomplished 15 days earlier, Artemia savings could be as high as 80%. However, this introduces risks relative to growth retardation (30% weight loss) and lower juvenile quality, including greater size variability and skeletal abnormalities. Similar results have been obtained with commercial microparticles (Fry Feed Kyowa) and experimental microbound diets (MBD) made from raw materials (alginate MBD) or preferably from freeze-dried protein sources (zein MBD).
Total replacement of live prey is still impossible in marine fish. Sea bass larvae fed formulated diets exclusively from first feeding (0.3 mg larval wet weight), or even from their second week of life onwards, exhibited low survival and poor growth. Better results can be obtained when formulated diets are used in combination with live prey from first feeding, although the optimal ratio of live prey to formulated diet is still to be specified.     

Genetic variation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus taeda</Emphasis> wood properties predicted using non-destructive techniques

• Background   

Tree breeders have been reluctant to include wood traits in tree improvement programs owing to logistic difficulties and the cost associated with the assessing the traits.     

Cellular Impact of Metal Trace Elements in Terricolous Lichen Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant. – Identification of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers

The purpose of this research is to present toxic effects of some heavy metals (cadmium, lead and zinc) on lichen physiology. In the North of France, those metals are concentrated for example in industrial polluted soils near metallurgic plants and waste dumps. Our investigations were conducted on Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant, a terricolous lichen growing on previously quoted soils as well as on non-contaminated ones. Different stress parameters were investigated as potassium leakage – which is related to the loss of membrane integrity – and oxidative stress through following parameters: malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). It seems, therefore, that heavy metals induce oxidative stress in this lichen, in which we found membrane damage and enhancement of SOD activity and GSH concentrations. With regard to very high concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn, a resistance involving antioxidant mechanisms limits the expected damage. Those mechanisms involve GSH, SOD as well as secondary metabolites, which have this resistance property. This study is a first step of investigation to use – in the future– physiological parameters as tool for environment assessment.     

Anatomy, physiology and pathology of the amniotic and allantoic compartments in the sheep and cow

In both cows and sheep the allantoic fluid is confined to 2 sacs connected by a flattened isthmus, one in the non-pregnant horn and one in the upper part of the pregnant horn. The chorion encloses the amniotic and allantoic compartments, forming the amniochorion and chorioallantois, respectively. In the last third of gestation the compositions of both amniotic and allantoic fluids differ substantially from each other and from those of foetal urine, and maternal and foetal plasma. There is less variation in composition than in volume for a given gestational age. Abnormalities of volume are more common in cows than sheep, and hydrallantois is more common than hydramnois. Data obtained from both physiological experiments and pathological cases suggest that the foetal membranes play an important role in the regulation of composition and volume of foetal fluids. Evidence is presented that the permeability of the membranes to various solutes, as well as their capacity to produce and respond to a number of hormones, can affect the foetal fluid composition and/or volume. Progesterone, oestrogens and prolactin are some of the hormones known to affect foetal fluids. Foetal adrenal insufficiency has been associated with hydramnios implying a lack of hormones from this gland in this disease. The changes in allantoic fluid composition from normal to that closely resembling maternal/foetal extracellular fluid, in hydrallantois, suggests an alteration of membrane function as an aetiology and the continued production of fluid, after removal of the foetus in some cases, favours this hypothesis.