scholarly journals A unique yet technically simple type of joint allows for the high mobility of scorpion tails

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (182) ◽  
pp. 20210388
Author(s):  
Alice Günther ◽  
Manfred Drack ◽  
Lionel Monod ◽  
Christian S. Wirkner
Keyword(s):  
High Mobility ◽  
Simple Type ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Circular Opening ◽  
Simple Construction ◽  
Animal Groups ◽  
Special Construction ◽  
Joint Mechanism ◽  
First Time ◽  
Body Section

Although being one of the most well-known animal groups, functional and constructional aspects of scorpions and especially of their tail (metasoma) have so far been overlooked. This tail represents a special construction, as it consists of five tube-shaped segments made up of strong cuticle, which are movable against each other and thus manoeuvre the notorious stinger both quickly and very precisely in space. This high mobility of an exoskeletal structure can be attributed to the connection between the segments described here for the first time. This joint allows for the twisting and bending at the same time in a single, simple construction: adjoining metasomal segments each possess an almost circular opening posteriorly, where the next segment is lodged. Anteriorly, these segments possess two saddle-like protrusions laterally, which are able to rotate in two directions on the rim of the posterior circular opening of the previous segment allowing for twisting and bending. The metasomal joint is particularly noteworthy since its mechanism can be compared to that of arthropod appendages. The scorpion metasoma is actually the only known case in Chelicerata, in which an entire body section has been modified to perform tasks similar to that of an appendage while containing digestive organs. The joint mechanism can also inspire technical applications, for instance in robotics.

Smolensk Proper Names in A.T. Tvardovsky’s Poems

2020 ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
Inna A. Koroleva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Proper Names ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
Thematic Content ◽  
Home Town ◽  
Birthday Anniversary ◽  
Long Poems ◽  
First Time

This article is dedicated to the 110th birthday anniversary of a great Russian poet, native of Smolensk, one of the founders of the Smolensk Poetic School Aleksandr Tvardovsky (1910–1971). It examines how Smolensk motifs and Tvardovsky’s love for his home town are reflected in his works at the onomastic level. Smolensk-onyms reflected in long poems are analysed here, the focus being on anthroponyms and toponyms naming the characters and indicating the locations associated with Smolensk region. A close connection between the choice of proper names and Tvardovsky’s biography is established. An attempt is made to demonstrate how, using onomastic units introduced by the author into the storyline of his artistic text, the general principles of autobiography and chronotopy are realized, which have been noted earlier in critiques of Tvardovsky’s literary works. The onomastic component of the poems is analysed thoroughly and comprehensively, which helps us to decode the conceptual chain writer – name – text – reader and identify the author’s attitude to the characters and the ideological and thematic content of the works, as well as some of the author’s personal characteristics, tastes and passions. At the onomastic level, the thesis about the role of Smolensk motifs in Tvardovsky’s literary works is once more substantiated. A review is presented of onomastic studies analysing proper names of different categories in Tvardovsky’s poems (mainly conducted by the representatives of the Voronezh Onomastic School and the author of this article). It should be noted that Smolensk proper names in the entire body of Tvardovsky’s poetry are analysed for the first time.

S.N. Durylin’s Easter story “On someone else's grave”: genre update

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-86
Author(s):  
Evgeniya A. Korshunova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Past Tense ◽  
Main Character ◽  
Future Tense ◽  
Spiritual Path ◽  
The Past ◽  
Special Construction ◽  
First Time ◽  
Ontological Concept

The article explores poetics of the unpublished Easter story by S.N. Durylin “On an unrelated grave” (1922). The story is important mainly because the author manages to renew the genre not only by returning to the original spiritual meanings, but also presenting the unique ontological project. Taking into account the experience of the predecessors-classics, first of all, A.P. Chekhov and his story “Holy night” (1886), the writer expands possibilities of the biblical subtext by creating an intertextual evangelical plot that unfolds in parallel with the main one. Using modernist experience of L.N. Andreev and M. Gorky, the symbolist writers, Durylin disputes it, disagreeing with travesty and fantastic versions of the interpretation of Easter story. The author depicts the plot of the resurrection of the soul of the main character Andrei Omutov, who, experiencing the tragic death of his mother, thinks about eternity for the first time. The author’s ontological concept, affirming infinity and the absence of boundaries, is expressed by the special construction of the temporal triad “past — present — future”. The idea of transcendental reality, suggesting Absolute, is formed by alternating passages in present and future tense: these are descriptions of mother’ existence and church hymns quotations. In the past tense, the story of hero’s childhood and his mother’s death are given. The spiritual path to the eternal “to be” represents the inner plot of this story. The milestones of this plot are intertextually indicated by Easter exapostillarium, which is quoted three times: in the epigraph, at the time when it sounds at Easter services and, finally, on a grave of a stranger during matin service, conducted by Father Alexander, when the hero’s spiritual resurrection occurs.

Classification of German Law at the Library of Congress: A Study in Comparative Law

1981 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-161
Author(s):  
Jolande E. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
German Law ◽  
Comparative Law ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Library Of Congress ◽  
Model Scheme ◽  
Governing Law ◽  
First Time

With the completion of the classification schedule for the entire body of German law the development of law classification at the Library of Congress (LC) has entered a new stage. It seems appropriate to provide a few notes on principles and policies governing law classification and a discussion of the techniques applied for the first time to derive a synchronized scheme from a model scheme.

Étude comparée de la reproduction de Phymatolithon calcareum (Pallas) Adey & McKibbin et Lithothamnion corallioides (P. & H. Crouan) P. & H. Crouan (Corallinales, Rhodophyta), et reconsidérations sur la définition des genres

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 1433-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
M L Mendoza ◽  
J Cabioch
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
Simple Type ◽  
Auxiliary Cell ◽  
Carpogonial Branch ◽  
Juvenile Stages ◽  
Fusion Cell ◽  
Main Components ◽  
First Time

The two CorallinalesPhymatolithon calcareum and Lithothamnion corallioides are the main components of European maerl communities. A large majority of the thalli are free-living branches borne on juvenile crusts that are rarely found. A detailed investigation of these juvenile stages has allowed the discovery of their reproductive features. Sexual reproduction of P. calcareum, the type-species of the genus, is described here for the first time and thus gives fundamental data for the generic definition. On the floor of the female conceptacle, a set of carpogonial branches is formed. Each fertilized carpogonium then fuses with the supporting cell of the carpogonial branch, which is also its auxiliary cell. A small fusion cell is thus formed, which produces upwards a small gonimoblast reduced to a short chain of carposporangia. In a mature conceptacle, the surface of the fertile floor thus appears entirely covered with small gonimoblasts. In the male conceptacle, mature spermatangia produced on the floor are typically dendroid; those produced on the walls are of a more simple type. The organization of the asexual conceptacle is briefly reviewed. The reproduction of L. corallioides is also newly described and compared with that previously reported for L. muelleri, the type-species of the genus.Key words: Corallinales, Phymatolithon, Lithothamnion, sexual reproduction, generic definition.

scholarly journals Morphology and distribution of two epizoic diatoms (Bacillariophyta) in Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 836-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Felício Fernandes ◽  
Mariana Calixto-Feres
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Body Surface ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
Brazilian Coast ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Euterpina Acutifrons

The epizoic diatoms Pseudohimantidium pacificum and Falcula hyalina, which live on copepods, were investigated using light and electron microscopes, based on material gathered from different marine environments along the Brazilian coast. Pseudohimantidium pacificum is reported for the first time for the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, significantly enlarging its range of geographic distribution. This species usually covers the entire body surface of the copepods Corycaeus amazonicus and Euterpina acutifrons, and of cypris larvae of Cirripedia. Falcula hyalina uses a higher number of copepod hosts, particularly Oithona oswaldocruzii, Pseudodiaptomus richardii and Acartia spp. The valve morphology and biometrical data of both diatoms were within the range limits recorded in the literature, including the original publications. Both species occurred in all the sampling stations along the Brazilian coastline stretching from 12°S down to 28°S. Falcula hyalina had already been found as far as latitude 31°S in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

scholarly journals Stage-specific gene expression during spermatogenesis in the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Reproduction ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Redon ◽  
Adrien Bosseboeuf ◽  
Claire Rocancourt ◽  
Corinne Da Silva ◽  
Patrick Wincker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zinc Finger Protein ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Ring Finger ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Cyclophilin B ◽  
Finger Protein ◽  
Key Species ◽  
First Time

In the dogfish testis, the cystic arrangement and polarization of germ cell stages make it possible to observe all stages of spermatogenesis in a single transverse section. By taking advantage of the zonation of this organ, we have used suppressive subtractive libraries construction, real-time PCR, andin situhybridization to identify 32 dogfish genes showing differential expressions during spermatogenesis. These include homologs of genes already known to be expressed in the vertebrate testis, but found here to be specifically expressed either in pre-meiotic and/or meiotic zones (ribosomal protein S8, high-mobility group box 3, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal esterase L3, 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, or cyclophilin B) or in post-meiotic zone (speriolin, Soggy, zinc finger protein 474, calreticulin, or phospholipase c-ζ). We also report, for the first time, testis-specific expression patterns for dogfish genes coding for A-kinase anchor protein 5, ring finger protein 152, or F-box only protein 7. Finally, the study highlights the differential expression of new sequences whose identity remains to be assessed. This study provides the first molecular characterization of spermatogenesis in a chondrichthyan, a key species to gain insight into the evolution of this process in gnathostomes.

scholarly journals Mobility and its sensitivity to fitness differences determine consumer–resource distributions

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 200247
Author(s):  
Jing Jiao ◽  
Louise Riotte-Lambert ◽  
Sergei S. Pilyugin ◽  
Michael A. Gil ◽  
Craig W. Osenberg
Keyword(s):  
Animal Movement ◽  
Ideal Free Distribution ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Resource Distributions ◽  
Fitness Sensitivity ◽  
First Time ◽  
Consumer Resource

An animal's movement rate (mobility) and its ability to perceive fitness gradients (fitness sensitivity) determine how well it can exploit resources. Previous models have examined mobility and fitness sensitivity separately and found that mobility, modelled as random movement, prevents animals from staying in high-quality patches, leading to a departure from an ideal free distribution (IFD). However, empirical work shows that animals with higher mobility can more effectively collect environmental information and better sense patch quality, especially when the environment is frequently changed by human activities. Here, we model, for the first time, this positive correlation between mobility and fitness sensitivity and measure its consequences for the populations of a consumer and its resource. In the absence of consumer demography, mobility alone had no effect on system equilibria, but a positive correlation between mobility and fitness sensitivity could produce an IFD. In the presence of consumer demography, lower levels of mobility prevented the system from approaching an IFD due to the mixing of consumers between patches. However, when positively correlated with fitness sensitivity, high mobility led to an IFD. Our study demonstrates that the expected covariation of animal movement attributes can drive broadly theorized consumer–resource patterns across space and time and could underlie the role of consumers in driving spatial heterogeneity in resource abundance.

scholarly journals Nuclear exosome HMGB3 secreted by nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells promotes tumour metastasis by inducing angiogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiwen Zhang ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
Jianmei Zhao ◽  
Si Shi ◽  
Xin He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽  
Umbilical Vein ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Tumour Angiogenesis ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Tumour Metastasis ◽  
Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ◽  
First Time

AbstractDistant metastasis accompanied by angiogenesis is the main cause of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)-related death. Nuclear exosomes (nEXOs) are potential tumour biomarkers. High mobility group box 3 (HMGB3), a nuclear protein, is known to be overexpressed in cancers. However, its role in NPC has not been elucidated. Here, we explore for the first time the function of nEXO HMGB3 in tumour angiogenesis involved in NPC metastasis using a series of in vitro experiments with NPC cell lines and clinical specimens and in vivo experiments with tumour xenograft zebrafish angiogenesis model. We found a high expression of HMGB3 in NPC, accompanied by the formation of micronuclei, to be associated with metastasis. Furthermore, the NPC-secreted HMGB3 expression was associated with tumour angiogenesis. Moreover, HMGB3-containing nEXOs, derived from the micronuclei of NPC cells, were ingested by the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and accelerated angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, western blotting and flow cytometry analysis showed that circulating nEXO HMGB3 positively correlated with NPC metastasis. In summary, nEXO HMGB3 can be a significant biomarker of NPC metastasis and provide a novel basis for anti-angiogenesis therapy in clinical metastasis.

scholarly journals Arginine Deiminase Induces Immunogenic Cell Death and Is Enhanced by N-acetylcysteine in Murine MC38 Colorectal Cancer Cells and MDA-MB-231 Human Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 511
Author(s):  
Zhiying Huang ◽  
Haifeng Hu
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Arginine Deiminase ◽  
Immunogenic Cell Death ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Colorectal Cancer Cells ◽  
First Time

The use of arginine deiminase (ADI) for arginine depletion therapy is an attractive anticancer approach. Combination strategies are needed to overcome the resistance of severe types of cancer cells to this monotherapy. In the current study, we report, for the first time, that the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which has been used in therapeutic practices for several decades, is a potent enhancer for targeted therapy that utilizes arginine deiminase. We demonstrated that pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) induces apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest in murine MC38 colorectal cancer cells; ADI-PEG 20 induces Ca2+ overload and decreases the mitochondrial membrane potential in MC38 cells. ADI-PEG 20 induced the most important immunogenic cell death (ICD)-associated feature: cell surface exposure of calreticulin (CRT). The antioxidant NAC enhanced the antitumor activity of ADI-PEG 20 and strengthened its ICD-associated features including the secretion of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In addition, these regimens resulted in phagocytosis of treated MC38 cancer cells by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). In conclusion, we describe, for the first time, that NAC in combination with ADI-PEG 20 not only possesses unique cytotoxic anticancer properties but also triggers the hallmarks of immunogenic cell death. Hence, ADI-PEG 20 in combination with NAC may represent a promising approach to treat ADI-sensitive tumors while preventing relapse and metastasis.

scholarly journals HMGA1 Has Predictive Value in Response to Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
Diana Pádua ◽  
Débora Filipa Pinto ◽  
Paula Figueira ◽  
Carlos Filipe Pereira ◽  
Raquel Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Chromatin Binding ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
Response To Chemotherapy ◽  
Hmga1 Expression ◽  
Treatment Data ◽  
New Biomarkers ◽  
Tumor Types ◽  
First Time

Gastric cancer is a serious health problem worldwide. Although its incidence is decreasing, the five-year survival rate remains low. Thus, it is essential to identify new biomarkers that could promote better diagnosis and treatment of patients with gastric cancer. High-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) is a non-histone, chromatin-binding protein that has been found overexpressed in several tumor types. It has been correlated with invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, leading to worse patient survival. The aim of this work was to evaluate the clinical value of HMGA1 in gastric cancer. HMGA1 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in a single hospital series (n = 323) of gastric adenocarcinoma cases (stages I to IV) with clinicopathological and treatment data. In this series, HMGA1 expression showed no significant relevance as a prognostic biomarker. Nevertheless, a significantly better overall survival was observed in cases with high levels of HMGA1 when they were treated with chemotherapy, compared to the nontreated ones, implying that they can benefit more from treatment than patients with low expression of HMGA1. We thereby show for the first time that HMGA1 expression has a substantial value as a biomarker of response to chemotherapy in gastric cancer.

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