Forest ecosystems in the Central Appalachians will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in the Central Appalachian Broadleaf Forest-Coniferous Forest-Meadow and Eastern Broadleaf Forest Provinces of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland for a range of future climates. Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts on forest ecosystems was considered by a multidisciplinary panel of scientists, land managers, and academics in order to assess ecosystem vulnerability to climate change. Appalachian (hemlock)/northern hardwood forests, large stream floodplain and riparian forests, small stream riparian forests, and spruce/fir forests were determined to be the most vulnerable. Dry/mesic oak forests and dry oak and oak/pine forests and woodlands were determined to be least vulnerable. Projected changes in climate and the associated impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-term natural resource planning.
Mono-ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification that was discovered more than five decades ago, and it consists of the enzymatic transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD⁺ to acceptor proteins. In viruses and prokaryotes, mono-ADP-ribosylation is mainly, but not exclusively, a mechanism used to take control of the host cell. In mammals, mono-ADP-ribosylation serves to regulate protein functions, and it is catalysed by two families of toxin-related cellular ADP-ribosyltransferases: ecto-enzymes that modify various cell-surface proteins, like integrins and receptors, and intracellular enzymes that act on a variety of nuclear and cytosolic proteins. These two families have been recently renamed the ARTCs (clostridia toxin like) and ARTDs (diphtheria toxin like), depending on their conserved structural features, and in terms of their relationships to the bacterial toxins. In addition, two members of the structurally non-related sirtuin family can also modify cellular proteins by mono-ADP-ribosylation. Recently, new examples of ADP-ribosylation of proteins involved in signal transduction and intracellular trafficking have been discovered, thus opening the route to the better molecular understanding of this reaction and of its role in human cell physiology and pathology.
The milestone of Adenosine Diphosphate-ribosylation studies was the paper by Paul Mandel's group in 1960s, first describing a "sort" of polyadenylic acid synthesized upon addition of nicotinamide mononucleotide in rat liver nuclear extracts. Nicotinic Acid or Niacin is the precursor of Nicotinamide Adenin Dinucleotide. In 1960s this compound was known mainly as coenzyme of most redox processes in metabolism. The discovery of enzymes that covalently transfer Adenosine Diphosphate-ribose moiety of Nicotinamide Adenin Dinucleotide to acceptor proteins, thereby altering their function, or are able to synthesize cyclic Adenosine Diphosphate-ribose, has given rise to the era of one of the most studied and still surprising reversible post - translational modification reactions. Over 50 years, developing the research on Adenosine Diphosphate-ribosylation has provided the basis to interconnect several processes thought to be very distant each other, opening new perspectives in their regulation and in therapeutic intervention. Here a synthesis of the history and the main and recent goals reached studying Adenosine Diphosphate-ribose in all its features are provided by a series of reviews including the most advanced research.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is known mainly as coenzyme of redox reactions for energy transduction and is consumed as substrate in regulatory reactions removing nicotinamide and producing ADP-ribose. Several families of ADP-ribose synthesizing enzymes use NAD⁺ as substrate and control processes like DNA repair, replication and transcription, chromatin structure, the activity of G-proteins and others. Since NAD⁺-dependent reactions involve degradation of the dinucleotide, a constant supply of the pyridinic substrate is required for its homeostasis. NAD⁺-dependent signaling reactions include protein deacetylation by sirtuins, intracellular calcium signaling and mono-/poly-ADP-ribosylation. In the context of all NAD⁺-dependent reactions leading to ADP-ribose synthesis, this review focuses mainly on both the central role played by sirtuins and poly-ADPribose polymerases as cellular NAD⁺ consumers and their crosstalk in signaling pathways.
Identification and localization of epileptogenic zone (EZ) is vital in patients with medically-intractable focal epilepsy, who may be candidates for potentially curative resective epilepsy surgery. Presence of a lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) influences both diagnostic classification and selection for surgery. However, the implications for MRI-negative cases are not well-defined for such patients. Most of these patients undergo invasive long-term Electroencephalography recordings before a final decision regarding resection is possible. Recent developments in structural and functional neuroimaging which include quali-quantitative MRI, Positron Emission Tomography, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, and functional MRI have significantly changed presurgical epilepsy evaluation. Source analysis based on electrophysiological information, using either EEG or magnetoencephalography are also promising in order to noninvasively localize the EZ and to guide surgery in medically-intractable focal epilepsy patients that exhibit nonlesional MRI. This chapter aims to review the value of the combined use of structural and functional imaging techniques, and how this multimodal approach improves both selection of surgical candidates and post-operative outcomes in medically-intractable nonlesional focal epilepsy.
Cisplatin used in treatment of solid tumor induces oxidative stress which leads to hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. New strategies are therefore needed to combat toxicity and optimize its therapeutic potential. Riboflavin (VitaminB2) under photoillumination works as an anti proliferative agent and induces apoptosis. These properties of riboflavin have been exploited to mitigate cisplatin induced toxicities. 9,10-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene /12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate were used to induce skin tumor in Swiss albino mice. The tumor induced mice were treated with cisplatin, riboflavin as well as their combination under photo illumination. In comparison to tumor control group the cisplatin and riboflavin treated groups showed a compromised level of antioxidant enzymes, functional markers and a higher degree of lipid peroxidation. However these parameters tended towards normal in the combination treated group. The results from histopathology indicate that apoptosis was favored mode of cell death and that necrosis was reduced in combination treated groups. Our findings indicate that combination of cisplatin with riboflavin under photo illumination synergizes its anti cancer activity towards cancer cells and attenuates the cisplatin induced toxicities.
Genetic markers are often used to designate population units for management and conservation, but widespread sharing of mitochondrial DNA control-region haplotypes defined from short (< 500 base-pair [bp]) sequences often limits inferences of population connectivity in marine turtles. Haplotype CM-A8, defined from 490-bp sequences, dominated the haplotype profiles of the 3 major green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries in Brazil. Previous analyses based on 490-bp haplotypes did not detect differentiation between the northern rookeries of Atol das Rocas and Fernando de Norohna, but did indicate differentiation of the northern rookeries from Trindade Island in the south. We reexamined the stock structure of the Brazilian green turtle rookeries using 817-bp control region and mitochondrial short tandem repeat (mtSTR) sequences. Nine 490-bp haplotypes were subdivided into 41 haplotypes by combining 817-bp and mtSTR sequences. Eight of the 14 CM-A8 turtles from Fernando de Noronha carried mtSTR haplotypes that were not detected in the larger rookeries. Pairwise exact tests indicated that the northern Brazilian green turtle rookeries of the Rocas Atoll and Fernando de Noronha are discrete populations with respect to female natal homing. Moreover, several apparently endemic markers in the 3 Brazilian green turtle nesting populations should improve resolution of future mixed-stock analyses. Comparable data are needed from green turtle rookeries in the central and eastern Atlantic to assess structure and connectivity at the ocean basin scale.