Search results for "FLAG"

Regulatory properties of 6-phosphofructokinase and control of glycolysis in boar spermatozoa.

2007

Glycolysis is crucial for sperm functions (motility and fertilization), but how this pathway is regulated in spermatozoa is not clear. This prompted to study the location and the regulatory properties of 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK, EC 2.7.1.11), the most important element for control of glycolytic flux. Unlike some other glycolytic enzymes, PFK showed no tight binding to sperm structures. It could readily be extracted from ejaculated boar spermatozoa by sonication and was then chromatographically purified. At physiological pH, the enzyme was allosterically inhibited by near-physiological concentrations of its co-substrate ATP, which induced co-operativity, i.e. reduced the affinity for the …

Expression and compartmentalisation of the glycolytic enzymes GAPDH and pyruvate kinase in boar spermatogenesis

2008

Boar spermatozoa contain isoforms of both glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, EC 1.2.1.12) and pyruvate kinase (PK, EC 2.7.1.40). The sperm-specific forms, GAPDH-S and PK-S, are tightly bound to cell structures. By immunofluorescence microscopy GAPDH-S and PK-S were localised in the principal piece of the boar sperm flagellum as well as in the acrosomal region of the sperm head and at the head–midpiece junction. The midpiece of the flagellum, however, contains isoforms of GAPDH and PK that were only recognised by antibodies against somatic GAPDH and PK, respectively, but not by the antibodies against GAPDH-S and PK-S. In sections of boar testis, GAPDH-S and PK-S were first dete…

Inflammatory and immunological profile in COPD secondary to organic dust exposure.

2021

Inflammatory response in patients with COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD) is poorly understood. We therefore aimed to characterize inflammatory and immune profile from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in a group of patients with mild-to-moderate COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD), tobacco smoking (T-COPD), or both. We compared T, B and NK cells distribution and inflammatory (TNF-α, Il-1β, IL-6), type 1 (IFN-γ), type 2 (IL-4, IL-13) and type 3 (IL-17) immunity related cytokines at baseline, and after stimulation with LPS, flagellin and CD3/CD28 beads in all COPD groups. OD-COPD displayed significantly lower NK cells and CD8+ T cells compared with contro…

Androglobin, a chimeric mammalian globin, is required for male fertility

2022

AbstractSpermatogenesis is a highly specialised process, involving multiple dedicated pathways and regulatory check-points. Defects ultimately lead to male sub-fertility or sterility, and numerous aspects of mammalian sperm formation remain unknown. The predominant expression of the latest globin family member, androglobin (Adgb) in mammalian testis tissue prompted us to assess its physiological function in spermatogenesis. Adgb knockout mice display male infertility, reduced testis weight, impaired maturation of elongating spermatids, abnormal sperm shape and ultrastructural defects in microtubule and mitochondrial organisation. Epididymal sperm from Adgb knockout animals display multiple …

Phylogenomic evidence for the presence of a flagellum and cbb(3) oxidase in the free-living mitochondrial ancestor.

2011

The initiation of the intracellular symbiosis that would give rise to mitochondria and eukaryotes was a major event in the history of life on earth. Hypotheses to explain eukaryogenesis fall into two broad and competing categories: those proposing that the host was a phagocytotic proto-eukaryote that preyed upon the free-living mitochondrial ancestor (hereafter FMA), and those proposing that the host was an archaebacterium that engaged in syntrophy with the FMA. Of key importance to these hypotheses are whether the FMA was motile or nonmotile, and the atmospheric conditions under which the FMA thrived. Reconstructions of the FMA based on genome content of Rickettsiales representatives-gener…

The Fatty Liver Assessment in Germany (FLAG) cohort study identifies large heterogeneity in NAFLD care

2020

Background & Aims NAFLD is a growing health concern. The aim of the Fatty Liver Assessment in Germany (FLAG) study was to assess disease burden and provide data on the standard of care from secondary care. Methods The FLAG study is an observational real-world study in patients with NAFLD enrolled at 13 centres across Germany. Severity of disease was assessed by non-invasive surrogate scores and data recorded at baseline and 12 months. Results In this study, 507 patients (mean age 53 years; 47% women) were enrolled. According to fibrosis-4 index, 64%, 26%, and 10% of the patients had no significant fibrosis, indeterminate stage, and advanced fibrosis, respectively. Patients with advanced fib…

Support for National Flag‐Displays in Times of Change: A Question of National Identification?

2018

Intensity-invariant nonlinear filtering for detection in camouflage.

2005

We introduce a method based on an orthonormal vector space basis representation to detect camouflaged targets in natural environments. The method is intensity invariant so that camouflaged targets are detected independently of the illumination conditions. The detection technique does not require one to know the exact camouflage pattern, but only the class of patterns (e.g., foliage, netting, woods). We use nonlinear filtering and the calculation of several correlations. The nonlinearity of the filtering process also allows high discrimination against false targets. Several experiments confirm the target detectability where strong camouflage might delude even human viewers.

Convenio sobre el trabajo marítimo 2006 (MLC, 2006)

2019

The essay analyses 2006 Convention on maritime work, and it highlights its original characteristics within ILO sources: firstly, the Convention systemises the fragmented scenario of conventions and recommendations on maritime workers’ rights. Secondly, it is characterised by a strong effectiveness, especially having regard to repatriation and to Flag State and Port State controls, not limited to ships flying a flag of a ratifying State. In any case, some weaknesses persist, such as the lack of recognition of the right to strike and a very generic regulation of shore leave. El ensayo analiza el Convenio sobre trabajo marítimo de 2006, y pone de manifiesto su originalidad dentro del marco de …

Seawater carbonate chemistry and nest guarding behaviour of a temperate wrasse

2021

Organisms may respond to changing environmental conditions by adjusting their behaviour (i.e., behavioural plasticity). Ocean acidification (OA), resulting from anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), is predicted to impair sensory function and behaviour of fish. However, reproductive behaviours, and parental care in particular, and their role in mediating responses to OA are presently overlooked. Here, we assessed whether the nesting male ocellated wrasse Symphodus ocellatus from sites with different CO2 concentrations showed different behaviours during their breeding season. We also investigated potential re-allocation of the time-budget towards different behavioural activities b…