Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a pleiotropic bioactive lipid mediator that regulates many physiological and pathological processes. It has been suggested that S1P gradient with high concentrations in the blood and lymphatic fluid and low concentrations in the peripheral tissue plays important roles in immune cell trafficking and potentially cancer progression. However, only a few reports have assessed S1P levels in the lymphatic fluid due to lack of an established easy-to-use method. Here, we report a simple technique for collection of lymphatic fluid to determine S1P.Lymphatic fluid was collected directly with a catheter needle (classical method) or was absorbed onto filter paper after incision of cisterna chyli (new method) in murine models. Blood, lymphatic fluid and mesenteric lymph nodes were corrected from wild type and sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) knockout mice to determine S1P levels by mass spectrometry.The volume of lymphatic fluid collected by the new method was at least three times greater than those collected by the classical method. S1P concentrations in lymphatic fluid are lower than in blood and higher than in lymph nodes. Interestingly, S1P levels in lymphatic fluid from SphK2 knockout mice were significantly higher than those in wild type, suggesting an important role of SphK2 and/or SphK1 to regulate S1P levels in lymphatic fluid.In agreement with the previous theory, our results confirm “S1P gradient” among blood, lymphatic fluid and peripheral lymphatic tissues. Convenient methods for collection and measurement of sphingolipids in lymphatic fluid are expected to provide new insights on functions of sphingolipids.

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is pleased to present this publication, which synthesizes how agriculture is addressed in the INDCs of the Caribbean region. Together with its partners, IICA has been working for several years to promote a more active and informed participation of the agriculture sector in the international climate negotiations and national planning processes. The Institute stands ready to support its member states as needed in following up on their INDC commitments such as strengthening capacity to fully integrate climate change considerations into the plans and actions the sector undertakes; developing public policy frameworks; providing guidance to assess agricultural adaptation needs; and promoting intersectoral collaboration to maximize the synergies and co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation actions.

Here, we report an experimental approach for determining the change in the free energy and the enthalpy that accompanies the mixing of the anionic phosphatidylglycerol and the zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine. The enthalpy change originates in the thermal changes of disrupting lipid bilayer vesicles titrated into a surfactant micelle solution and is monitored using isothermal titration calorimetry. The difference in the solubilization enthalpies between pure and mixed lipid vesicles yields the lipid mixing enthalpy. The Gibbs free energy changes are estimated by determining the thermodynamic equilibrium constants of forming a molecular complex between phospholipids and methyl-β-cyclodextrin. We provide direct experimental evidence that mixing of the anionic lipid and the zwitterionic lipid is explained well by the entropic term of the electrostatic free energy of a charged surface in the Gouy–Chapman model. The present strategy enables us to determine the precise energetics of lipid–lipid interactions in near-native environments such as liposomes without any chemical modification to lipid molecules.

The data obtained by GRACE satellite allowed comprehensively analyzing the dynamics of total terrestrial water reserve in the period from 2003 to 2012 at the territory of European Russia. The comparison of the satellite data and the information on the dynamics of the groundwater level obtained from a field survey of 12 bore holes that were evenly distributed over the studied territory (Central Federal and North-Caucasian Federal regions) has shown that there was a clearly expressed co-variation between the satellite images and the groundwater depth. The analysis of a trend in total water reserve according to the satellite data showed that it was positive towards in the north-western and negative in the southern and south-eastern part of European Russia. There were periodical changes in the total terrestrial water reserve in the range from 3 to 8–9 years. The periods were more prolonged in the central and north-western regions and less prolonged in the northern and south-eastern regions of the studied territory. The obtained data evidence that if the detected periodicity is maintained, the minimum of the total terrestrial water reserve will be recorded in the east of the Northern Caucasus, in Vologda, Yaroslavl, Moscow and Kostroma regions in 2016, in the central part and Krasnodar region in 2018–2019 and in Kirov and Perm regions in 2016–2017. The results of the study can be used for long-term forecasting of crop yields, soil mapping and establishing new fruit gardens. | На основе информации, полученной со спутниковой системы GRACE, проведен анализ динамики общей обводненности территории европейской части России за период с 2003–2012 гг. Спутниковые данные сравнивались с информацией о динамике уровня грунтовых вод по отдельным скважинам. Для контроля и сравнения использовано 12 скважин, равномерно распределенных по региону исследований (Центральный Федеральный и Северо-Кавказский Федеральный округа России). Для изученной территории выявлена хорошая ковариация между спутниковыми данными и глубиной грунтовых вод. Геоинформационный анализ тренда общей обводненности, полученного по спутниковым данным, показал, что он является положительным на северо-западе территории исследований и отрицательным на юге и юго-востоке. Обнаруживается периодичность в многолетних изменениях общей обводненности на всей территории исследований. Величина периода изменяется от 3 до 8–9 лет. Более длинные периоды наблюдаются в центре и на северо-западе европейской части России, а менее длинные – на севере и юго-востоке. Полученные данные свидетельствуют о том, что при сохранении выявленной периодичности, минимум обводненности на востоке Северного Кавказа, в Вологодской, Ярославской, Московской и Костромской областях будет достигнут в 2016 гг., в центральной части региона исследований и Краснодарском крае - в 2018–2019 гг., в Кировской области и Пермском крае - в 2016–2017 гг. Полученные данные могут быть использованы при долгосрочном прогнозировании урожайности с.-х. культур, проведении почвенно-картографических работ, а также закладке новых плодовых насаждений.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of agronomic traits during the individual selection in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), as well as evaluate the potential for using logistic regression and decision trees in identifying the best genotypes. A total of 7,719 seedlings of 128 half-sib families were evaluated in the first test phase (T1) and 659 clones were selected for the second (T2). Logistic regression was applied in both populations (T1 and T2). The number of stalks, bud prominence and length of the internode were the most important traits in selection the T1. Plant vigour, stalk diameter and stalk height were the most important traits in selection the T2. There were 174 individuals selected by the mass selection method in T1 and 113 individuals in T2, while logistic regression selected 153 individuals in T1 and 79 in T2. The apparent error rates of the logistic models fitted to the selections in T1 and T2 were 0.8 and 5.10%, respectively. By using a decision tree, 67 clones were selected among the most productive ones in phase T2. The formulation of decision trees is therefore highly applicable to identifying potential clones in the initial phases of genetic breeding programs.

We present year round meteorological and conductivity measurements of colonized hypolithic rocks in the Arava Valley, Negev Desert, Israel. The data indicate that while dew is common in the Negev it is not an important source of moisture for hypolithic organisms at this site. The dominance of cyanobacteria in the hypolithic community is consistent with predictions that cyanobacteria are confined to habitats supplied by rain. To monitor the presence of liquid water under the small Negev rocks we developed and tested a simple field conductivity system based on two wires placed about 0.5 cm apart. Based on 21 replicates recorded for one year in the Negev we conclude that in natural rains (0.25 mm to 6 mm) the variability between sensor readings is between 20 and 60% decreasing with increasing rain amount. We conclude that the simple small electrical conductivity system described here can be used effectively to monitor liquid water levels in lithic habitats. However, the natural variability of these sensors indicates that several replicates should be deployed. The results and method presented have use in arid desert reclamation programs.

To investigate the potential relationship between age and diagnosis of cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) in the bitches, 348 ultrasound examinations from 240 bitches (Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Flat Coated Retrievers, or crosses of those breeds aged between 1.6 and 7.2 years at examination) were examined. A subpopulation of 32 bitches that had completed their breeding careers at 6 years or more of age was also identified. Of all, 18.3% of the bitches were diagnosed with CEH; these cases were newly diagnosed when bitches were between 2.5 years and 7.3 years of age. The proportion of ultrasound examinations in which CEH was identified increased from 6.8% of examinations on 2-year-old breeding bitches to 60.0% of examinations on 6-year-old bitches. Logistic regression identified a positive correlation between mean age at the examination and presence of CEH (χ2 = 30.74, degrees of freedom = 1, P < 0.001). For 32 bitches that had completed their breeding career, the prevalence of CEH was 56.3%, age at the diagnosis ranged from 3.8 to 7.3 years, and the proportion of bitches affected with CEH increased from 6.3% at 3 years of age to 56.3% at 7 years of age. These data support the contention that the prevalence of CEH increases with age.

This study aims to expand the knowledge of viral species present in feces of foals suffering diarrhea using Next Generation Sequencing. This will be useful to further explore the role of new infectious agents in this illness in foals. | Inst.de Virología | Fil: Vega, Celina Guadalupe. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina | Fil: Conceição-Neto, Nádia. University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Belgica. Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics; Belgica | Fil: Miño, Samuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina | Fil: Zeller, Mark. University of Leuven. Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Bélgica. Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics; Bélgica | Fil: Heylen, Elisabeth. University of Leuven. Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Bélgica. Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics; Bélgica | Fil: Parreño, Viviana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina | Fil: Matthijnssens, Jelle. University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Belgica. Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics; Belgica | Fil: Barrandeguy, Maria Edith. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina

Biomonitoring is an important tool for the assessment of the quality and functions of ecosystems, providing information about the pollutants present and the direct effects that they exert on organisms. Biomonitoring relies upon the quantification of variables that can be biochemical, genetic, morphological and physiological changes. Such variables are designated as biomarkers, and multiple biomarkers are usually determined simultaneously in order to have a more integrated analysis and information about sublethal early effects of contaminants. In this work, we quantified biomarkers, associated with oxidative stress (glutathione-S-transferases GSTs, and catalase CAT, activities; levels of peroxidative alterations, by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay, TBARS) and neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase activity, AChE) in the polychaete Hediste diversicolor. Organisms were collected at three distinct estuaries, Ria de Aveiro (Laranjo and São Jacinto), Douro River (São Paio, Afurada, and Ribeira da Granja), both impacted by human activities, and Minho River (Seixas), which has been used as a reference site. Obtained data showed the occurrence of anti-oxidant responses, in most samples from contaminated sites, which was not followed however by the occurrence of oxidative damage in organisms from Ria de Aveiro. None of the analyzed organisms had significant impairment of cholinesterasic activity, suggesting the absence of a prior exposure to neurotoxic compounds. In fact, organisms collected at Ria de Aveiro had largely increased AChE activity, suggesting an uncommon paradoxical biological response that is further discussed. | published