Search results for " mammalia"
showing 10 items of 126 documents
Observations on the postcranial anatomy of Hoplitomeryx (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Hoplitomerycidae) from the Miocene of the Apulia Platform (Italy)
2016
The untypical ruminants of the Apulia Platform (central and southeastern Italy), originally accommodated in the genus Hoplitomeryx, have been recently revised. The Scontrone (Abruzzo, central Italy) representatives were included in a new genus, Scontromeryx, with the addition of a new species, Scontromeryx mazzai. In contrast, the Gargano ones were left in Hoplitomeryx, but also in this case with the addition of three new species, Hoplitomeryx devosi, H. macpheei, and H. kriegsmani, described on postcranial remains and based on body mass calculations and using a size class scoring technique. The results of the present study show that Scontromeryx is invalid, that S. mazzai is imperfectly de…
Experimental evidence of the long‐term effects of reindeer on Arctic vegetation greenness and species richness at a larger landscape scale
2019
1. Large herbivores influence plant community structure and ecosystem processes in many ecosystems. In large parts of the Arctic, reindeer (or caribou) are the only large herbivores present. Recent studies show that reindeer have the potential to mitigate recent warming-induced shrub encroachment in the Arctic and the associated greening of high-latitude ecosystems. This will potentially have large scale consequences for ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling. 2. To date, information on variation in the interactions between reindeer and plants across Arctic landscapes has been scarce. We utilized a network of experimental sites across a latitudinal gradient in the Scandinavian mountains …
Combination of metabolism measurement and a time-lapse system provides an embryo selection method based on oxygen uptake and chronology of cytokinesi…
2016
Objective To evaluate correlations between oxygen consumption (OC) measurements before and after embryo cytokinesis, observing OC during embryo cleavages and combining that information with morphokinetics to relate to implantation potential. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting University-affiliated private IVF unit. Patient(s) A total of 1,150 injected oocytes in 86 first oocyte donation cycles with embryo transfer on day 3. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measurement(s) We analyzed the embryo OC and combined this data with the cytokinesis event, exact timing (in hours) of blastomeric cleavages, with the use of an incubator equipped with time-lapse videography, gathering a total of …
Apolipoprotein B is regulated by gonadotropins and constitutes a predictive biomarker of IVF outcomes
2016
Background Follicular fluid (FF) is an important micro-environment influencing oocyte growth, its development competence, and embryo viability. The FF content analysis allows to identify new relevant biomarkers, which could be predictive of in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Inside ovarian follicle, the amount of FF components from granulosa cells (GC) secretion, could be regulated by gonadotropins, which play a major role in follicle development. Methods This prospective study included 61 female undergoing IVF or Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure. Apolipoprotein B (APOB) concentrations in follicular fluid and APOB gene and protein expression in granulosa cells from rep…
The cytoprotective protein MANF promotes neuronal survival independently from its role as a GRP78 cofactor
2021
Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress-regulated protein exhibiting cytoprotective properties through a poorly understood mechanism in various in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal and non-neuronal damage. Although initially characterized as a secreted neurotrophic factor for midbrain dopamine neurons, MANF has recently gained more interest for its intracellular role in regulating the ER homeostasis, including serving as a cofactor of the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). We aimed for a better understanding of the neuroprotective mechanisms of MANF. Here we show for the first time that MANF promotes the survival of …
Study of nucleation status in the second cell cycle of human embryo and its impact on implantation rate
2016
Objective To study nucleation status in two- and four-cell embryos and its effect on reproductive outcomes. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University-affiliated private center. Patient(s) A total of 1,679 embryos from 940 oocyte donation cycles from May 2012 to May 2014. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Implantation, morphokinetics, and nucleation status restoration. Result(s) Multinucleation was present in 42.53% of embryos with known implantation data at the two-cell stage; it was present in approximately 14% of them at the four-cell stage. In all, 73.4% of the embryos were multinucleated at two cells and restored their nucleation status when they cleaved into fou…
The embryo-placental CD15-positive "vasculogenic zones" as a source of propranolol-sensitive pediatric vascular tumors.
2015
Abstract Objective Propranolol-induced involution is a unique biological feature of some pediatric vascular tumors, for instance infantile hemangioma (IH), cerebral cavernoma or chorioangioma. Currently, the cellular origin of these distinct tumors is unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that propranolol-responsive vascular tumors are derived from common vessel-forming CD15 + progenitor cells which occur in early gestation. The aim of this study was to identify the tumor-relevant CD15 + progenitors at the early stages of embryo-placental development. Materials and methods Human embryo-placental units of 4–8 weeks gestation and pediatric vascular tumors were tested for expression…
Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea
2016
In recent years, primary cilia have emerged as key regulators in development and disease by influencing numerous signaling pathways. One of the earliest signaling pathways shown to be associated with ciliary function was the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway, also referred to as planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. One of the best places in which to study the effects of planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling during vertebrate development is the mammalian cochlea. PCP signaling disruption in the mouse cochlea disrupts cochlear outgrowth, cellular patterning and hair cell orientation, all of which are affected by cilia dysfunction. The goal of this protocol is to describe the analysis of PCP…
Enhanced autophagic-lysosomal activity and increased BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy as adaptive response of neuronal cells to chronic oxidati…
2019
Oxidative stress and a disturbed cellular protein homeostasis (proteostasis) belong to the most important hallmarks of aging and of neurodegenerative disorders. The proteasomal and autophagic-lysosomal degradation pathways are key measures to maintain proteostasis. Here, we report that hippocampal cells selected for full adaptation and resistance to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (oxidative stress-resistant cells, OxSR cells) showed a massive increase in the expression of components of the cellular autophagic-lysosomal network and a significantly higher overall autophagic activity. A comparative expression analysis revealed that distinct key regulators of autophagy are upregu…
Silencing of hepatic fate-conversion factors induce tumorigenesis in reprogrammed hepatic progenitor-like cells
2016
Abstract Background Several studies have reported the direct conversion of mouse fibroblasts to hepatocyte-like cells with different degrees of maturation by expression of hepatic fate-conversion factors. Methods We have used a combination of lentiviral vectors expressing hepatic fate-conversion factors with Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc to convert mouse embryonic fibroblasts into hepatic cells. Results We have generated hepatic cells with progenitor-like features (iHepL cells). iHepL cells displayed basic hepatocyte functions but failed to perform functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes such as significant Cyp450 or urea cycle activities. iHepL cells expressed multiple hepatic-specific …