Importance of heat shock proteins in maize

Abiotic and biotic stress conditions cause extensive losses to maize production, mainly due to protein dysfunction in these conditions. In higher plants, the occurrence of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) in response to different environmental stresses is a universal phenomenon and has been well documented. Many studies have demonstrated that most HSPs are involved in many regulatory pathways, act as molecular chaperones for other cell proteins, and have strong cytoprotective effects. Although many functional roles for HSPs are known, the mechanisms for these multiple functions are not entirely understood. Here we reviewed the correlation among HSP genes/proteins and plant tolerance, especially maize, in different environmental stresses. Due to the low availability of information regarding the expression of HSP genes in response to different stresses in maize, we decided to mine databases in order to generate new insights related to this topic.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of yerba-mate (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae) extract as obtained by spray drying

Yerba-mate or mate? (Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae) leaves are typically used for their stimulant, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and diuretic activity, presenting as principal components polyphenolic compounds. In this study, the objective was to develop a yerba-mate dry extract by using spray drying technology and to evaluate the dry extract antioxidant activity and chemical composition. The results obtained by means of the DPPH assay show that the extract presents an IC(50) of 2.52 mg/mL. The yerba-mate spray-dried extract presents high catalase-like activity, suggesting that it is a strong free-radical scavenger. The antioxidant activity as expressed as catalase-like activity was related to total polyphenol content. In addition, the results show that the spray-dried extract presents high polyphenol content, namely, high concentrations of caffeic acid (1.54 mg/g), 5-caffeoylquinic acid (91.40 mg/g), rutin (5.38 mg/g), and total phenolics (178.32 mg/g), which justifies its high antioxidant activity.     

Blood Coagulation Values in Normal Sheep and in Two Mutant Strains with Hyperbilirubinemia

Blood coagulation values for normal sheep and lambs, using commercially available reagents for human coagulation, are reported. Of the domestic animal species for which coagulation values have been reported, the sheep most closely resembles those of humans. Factor VII deficiency has been found in some patients with Dubin Johnson syndrome. Sheep with the same defect were found to have no coagulation abnormality.     

Associations between meal size,gastric emptying and post‐prandial plasma glucose,insulin and lactate concentrations in meal‐fed cats

Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations are increased for 12–24 h in healthy cats following moderate‐ to high‐carbohydrate meals. This study investigated associations between gastric emptying time and post‐prandial plasma glucose, insulin and lactate concentrations in cats fed an extruded dry, high‐carbohydrate, moderate‐fat, low‐protein diet (51, 28, 21% metabolizable energy, respectively) once daily by varying meal volume. Eleven healthy, non‐obese, neutered adult cats were enrolled in a prospective study and fed to maintain body weight. Ultrasound examinations were performed for up to 26 h, and blood collections over 24 h after eating meals containing approximately 100% and 50% of the cats’ daily caloric intake (209 and 105 kJ/kg BW, respectively). Gastric emptying time was increased after a meal of 209 kJ/kg BW compared with 105 kJ/kg BW (median gastric emptying times 24 and 14 h, respectively; p = 0.03). Time for glucose to return to fasting was longer after the 209 kJ/kg BW meal (median 20 h; 25th and 75th percentiles 15 and 23 h, respectively) than the 105 kJ/kg BW meal (13, 12 and 14 h; p < 0.01); however, peak glucose was not higher after the 209 kJ/kg BW meal compared with the 105 kJ/kg BW meal [(mean ± SD) 6.6 ± 0.6 and 7.8 ± 1.2 mmol/l, respectively, p = 0.07]. Times for insulin to return to fasting were not significantly longer after the 209 kJ/kg BW meal than the 105 kJ/kg BW meal (p = 0.29). d ‐ and l ‐lactate concentrations were not associated with gastric emptying time or post‐prandial blood glucose and insulin. Based on results obtained, prolonged gastric emptying contributes to prolonged post‐prandial hyperglycemia in cats meal fed a high‐carbohydrate, low‐protein, dry diet and fasting times for cats’ meal‐fed diets of similar composition should be 14–26 h, depending on meal size.     

The evolution of Titan's mid-latitude clouds

Spectra from Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer reveal that the horizontal structure, height, and optical depth of Titan's clouds are highly dynamic. Vigorous cloud centers are seen to rise from the middle to the upper troposphere within 30 minutes and dissipate within the next hour. Their development indicates that Titan's clouds evolve convectively; dissipate through rain; and, over the next several hours, waft downwind to achieve their great longitude extents. These and other characteristics suggest that temperate clouds originate from circulation-induced convergence, in addition to a forcing at the surface associated with Saturn's tides, geology, and/or surface composition.     

Comparison between cachaça and rum using pattern recognition methods

The differentiation between cacha?a and rum using analytical data referred to alcohols (methanol, propanol, isobutanol, and isopentanol), acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, organic acids (octanoic acid, decanoic acid, and dodecanoic acid), metals (Al, Ca, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Na, and Zn), and polyphenols (protocatechuic acid, sinapaldehyde, syringaldehyde, ellagic acid, syringic acid, gallic acid, (-)-epicatechin, vanillic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid, coniferaldehyde, coniferyl alcohol, kaempferol, and quercetin) is described. The organic and metal analyte contents were determined in 18 cacha?a and 21 rum samples using chromatographic methods (GC-MS, GC-FID, and HPLC-UV-vis) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, respectively. The analytical data of the above compounds, when treated by principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and K-nearest neighbor analysis, provide a very good discrimination between the two classes of beverages.     

Potential predictive biomarkers of obesity in Burmese cats

Australian Burmese cats are predisposed to diabetes mellitus and, compared to other breeds, have delayed triglyceride clearance that may result in subtle changes within cells and tissues that trigger specific alterations in gene expression within peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs). Expression of genes involved in energy metabolism (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase), lipogenesis (ATP citrate lyase [ACL], fatty acid synthase [FAS] and sterol regulatory binding protein-1c [SREBP-1c]), and insulin signalling (insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2, and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase), as well as cholesterol lipoprotein subfraction profiling were carried out on PBLs from lean Burmese cats and compared with similar profiles of age and gender matched lean and obese Australian domestic shorthaired cats (DSHs) in an attempt to identify possible biomarkers for assessing obesity.For the majority of the genes examined, the lean Burmese cats demonstrated similar PBL gene expression patterns as age and gender matched obese Australian DSH cats. Lean Burmese had increased expression of ACL and FAS, but not SREBP-1c, a main upstream regulator of lipid synthesis, suggesting possible aberrations in lipogenesis. Moreover, lean Burmese displayed a 3- to 4-fold increase in the very low density cholesterol fraction percentage, which was double that for obese DSH cats, indicating an increased degree of lipid dysregulation especially in relation to triglycerides. The findings suggest that Burmese cats may have a particular propensity for dysregulation in lipid metabolism.     

The serological response of pigs experimentally infected with a species of Taenia from Taiwan

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibody in pigs infected with a possibly new species of Taenia isolated in Taiwan is described. The test antigen ThFAS was fractionated from the cyst fluod of a heterologous cestode Taenia hydatigena. In lightly infected pigs ( 4 recovered cysts at necropsy 17 weeks post-inoculation), antibody was detected as early as 3 weeks post-inoculation. In more heavily infected pigs (6–72 recovered cysts at necropsy 32 weeks post-inoculation), antibody was still detectable at the time of necropsy. Cysterci were found only in the livers of the infected pigs. This ELISA should be highly useful for detecting infection of pigs with this larval cestode in regions where the presence of Taenia solium is unlikely.