2016
Hartman Gideon, Ofer, Bar-Yosef , Alex, Brittingham , Leore, Grosman , ו D., Munro Natalie . 2016.
“Hunted Gazelles Evidence Cooling, But Not Drying, During The Younger Dryas In The Southern Levant”. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 113, 15, Pp. 3997-4002. doi:10.1073/pnas.1519862113.
Publisher's Version תקציר
The climatic downturn known globally as the Younger Dryas (YD; ∼12,900–11,500 BP) has frequently been cited as a prime mover of agricultural origins and has thus inspired enthusiastic debate over its local impact. This study presents seasonal climatic data from the southern Levant obtained from the sequential sampling of gazelle tooth carbonates from the Early and Late Natufian archaeological sites of Hayonim and Hilazon Tachtit Caves (western Galilee, Israel). Our results challenge the entrenched model that assumes that warm temperatures and high precipitation are synonymous with climatic amelioration and cold and wet conditions are combined in climatic downturns. Enamel carbon isotope values from teeth of human-hunted gazelle dating before and during the YD provide a proxy measure for water availability during plant growth. They reveal that although the YD was cooler, it was not drier than the preceding Bølling–Allerød. In addition, the magnitude of the seasonal curve constructed from oxygen isotopes is significantly dampened during the YD, indicating that cooling was most pronounced in the growing season. Cool temperatures likely affected the productivity of staple wild cereal resources. We hypothesize that human groups responded by shifting settlement strategies—increasing population mobility and perhaps moving to the warmer Jordan Valley where wild cereals were more productive and stable.
Ben Davidson, Holth, Arild , Hellesylt, Ellen , Hadar, Rivka , Katz, Betina , Tropé, Claes G, ו Reich, Reuven . 2016.
“Hur Mrna Expression In Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma Effusions Is Associated With Poor Survival.”. Human Pathology, 48, Pp. 95–101. doi:10.1016/j.humpath.2015.09.027.
תקציר The objective of this study was to analyze the expression and clinical role of the RNA-binding molecule HuR in metastatic high-grade ovarian serous carcinoma (HGSC). HUR mRNA expression by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was analyzed in 66 effusions from patients diagnosed with HGSC. Protein expression was analyzed in 262 HGSC effusions using immunohistochemistry. HUR mRNA was detected in all 66 effusions. HUR mRNA levels were unrelated to clinicopathological parameters. However, higher HUR mRNA levels were significantly related to poor overall survival in the entire cohort (P=.023), as well as in analysis limited to patients with prechemotherapy primary diagnosis specimens (P=.001) in univariate analysis. Cox multivariate analysis showed an independent prognostic role for HUR mRNA in the entire cohort (P=.033) and in patients with prechemotherapy primary diagnosis specimens (P=.002). HuR protein was detected in the nucleus and cytoplasm of tumor cells in 258 (98%) of 262 and 153 (58%) of 262 effusions, respectively. Higher HuR protein expression was associated with higher serum Cancer Antigen (CA) 125 levels at diagnosis (P=.01), but its presence at both cellular compartments was otherwise unrelated to clinicopathological parameters or survival. In conclusion, HuR is widely expressed in metastatic HGSC at both the mRNA and protein level. Higher HUR mRNA levels are associated with poor survival in metastatic HGSC, whereas protein expression has no prognostic value.
To enhance the distribution of their seeds, plants often utilize hygroscopic deformations that actuate dispersal mechanisms. Such movements are based on desiccation-induced shrinkage of tissues in predefined directions. The basic hygroscopic deformations are typically actuated by a bi-layer configuration, in which shrinking of an active tissue layer is resisted by a stiff layer, generating a set of basic movements including bending, coiling, and twisting. In this study, we investigate a new type of functionally graded hygroscopic movement in the fruit (capsule) of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Microscopic observations of the capsules showed that the inner stiff endocarp layer is built of a bilayer of transverse (i.e., circumferential) and longitudinal fiber cells with the layers positioned in a semi-circle, one inside the other. The outer mesocarp layer is made of soft parenchyma cells. The thickness of the fibrous layers and of the mesocarp exhibits a graded architecture, with gradual changes in their thickness around the capsule circumference. The cellulose microfibrils in the fiber cell walls are lying parallel to the cell long axis, rendering them stiff. The outer mesocarp layer contracted by 300% as it dried. Removal of this outer layer inhibited the opening movement, indicating that it is the active tissue. A biomechanical hygro-elastic model based on the relative thicknesses of the layers successfully simulated the opening curvature. Our findings suggest that the sesame capsules possess a functionally graded architecture, which promotes a non-uniform double-curvature hygroscopic bending movement. In contrast to other hygroscopic organs described in the literature, the sesame capsule actuating and resisting tissues are not uniform throughout the device, but changing gradually. This newly described mechanism can be exploited in bio-inspired designs of novel actuating platforms.
Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are a diverse class of proteins that assist organism survival in the presence of ice in cold climates. They have different origins in many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, algae, diatoms, plants, insects, and fish. This review covers the gamut of IBP structures and functions and the common features they use to bind ice. We discuss mechanisms by which IBPs adsorb to ice and interfere with its growth, evidence for their irreversible association with ice, and methods for enhancing the activity of IBPs. The applications of IBPs in the food industry, in cryopreservation, and in other technologies are vast, and we chart out some possibilities.Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are a diverse class of proteins that assist organism survival in the presence of ice in cold climates. They have different origins in many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, algae, diatoms, plants, insects, and fish. This review covers the gamut of IBP structures and functions and the common features they use to bind ice. We discuss mechanisms by which IBPs adsorb to ice and interfere with its growth, evidence for their irreversible association with ice, and methods for enhancing the activity of IBPs. The applications of IBPs in the food industry, in cryopreservation, and in other technologies are vast, and we chart out some possibilities.
O Klein, Ngo-Nyekel, F, Stefanache, T, Torres, R, Salomonsson, M, Hallgren, J, R\aadinger, M, Bambouskova, M, Campbell, M, Cohen-Mor, S, Dema, B, Rose, CG, Abrink, M, Charles, N, Ainooson, G, Paivandy, A, Pavlova, VG, Serrano-Candelas, E, Yu, Y, Hellman, L, Jensen, BM, Van Anrooij, B, Grootens, J, Gura, HK, Stylianou, M, Tobio, A, Blank, U, Öhrvik, H, ו Maurer, M. 2016.
“Identification Of Biological And Pharmaceutical Mast Cell- And Basophil-Related Targets.”. doi:10.1111/sji.12436.
Galia Tiram, Segal, Ehud , Krivitsky, Adva , Shreberk-Hassidim, Rony , Ferber, Shiran , Ofek, Paula , Udagawa, Taturo , Edry, Liat , Shomron, Noam , Roniger, Maayan , Kerem, Batsheva , Shaked, Yuval , Aviel-Ronen, Sarit , Barshack, Iris , Calderón, Marcelo , Haag, Rainer , ו Satchi-Fainaro, Ronit . 2016.
“Identification Of Dormancy-Associated Micrornas For The Design Of Osteosarcoma-Targeted Dendritic Polyglycerol Nanopolyplexes”. Acs Nano, 10, 2, Pp. 2028-45. doi:10.1021/acsnano.5b06189.
תקציר The presence of dormant, microscopic cancerous lesions poses a major obstacle for the treatment of metastatic and recurrent cancers. While it is well-established that microRNAs play a major role in tumorigenesis, their involvement in tumor dormancy has yet to be fully elucidated. We established and comprehensively characterized pairs of dormant and fast-growing human osteosarcoma models. Using these pairs of mouse tumor models, we identified three novel regulators of osteosarcoma dormancy: miR-34a, miR-93, and miR-200c. This report shows that loss of these microRNAs occurs during the switch from dormant avascular into fast-growing angiogenic phenotype. We validated their downregulation in patients' tumor samples compared to normal bone, making them attractive candidates for osteosarcoma therapy. Successful delivery of miRNAs is a challenge; hence, we synthesized an aminated polyglycerol dendritic nanocarrier, dPG-NH2, and designed dPG-NH2-microRNA polyplexes to target cancer. Reconstitution of these microRNAs using dPG-NH2 polyplexes into Saos-2 and MG-63 cells, which generate fast-growing osteosarcomas, reduced the levels of their target genes, MET proto-oncogene, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, and moesin, critical to cancer angiogenesis and cancer cells' migration. We further demonstrate that these microRNAs attenuate the angiogenic capabilities of fast-growing osteosarcomas in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with each of these microRNAs using dPG-NH2 significantly prolonged the dormancy period of fast-growing osteosarcomas in vivo. Taken together, these findings suggest that nanocarrier-mediated delivery of microRNAs involved in osteosarcoma tumor-host interactions can induce a dormant-like state.
Roni Lehmann-Werman, Neiman, Daniel , Zemmour, Hai , Moss, Joshua , Magenheim, Judith , Vaknin-Dembinsky, Adi , Rubertsson, Sten , Nellgård, Bengt , Blennow, Kaj , Zetterberg, Henrik , Spalding, Kirsty , Haller, Michael J, Wasserfall, Clive H, Schatz, Desmond A, Greenbaum, Carla J, Dorrell, Craig , Grompe, Markus , Zick, Aviad , Hubert, Ayala , Maoz, Myriam , Fendrich, Volker , Bartsch, Detlef K, Golan, Talia , Ben Sasson, Shmuel A, Zamir, Gideon , Razin, Aharon , Cedar, Howard , Shapiro, James AM, Glaser, Benjamin , Shemer, Ruth , ו Dor, Yuval . 2016.
“Identification Of Tissue-Specific Cell Death Using Methylation Patterns Of Circulating Dna”. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 113, 13, Pp. E1826-34. doi:10.1073/pnas.1519286113.
תקציר Minimally invasive detection of cell death could prove an invaluable resource in many physiologic and pathologic situations. Cell-free circulating DNA (cfDNA) released from dying cells is emerging as a diagnostic tool for monitoring cancer dynamics and graft failure. However, existing methods rely on differences in DNA sequences in source tissues, so that cell death cannot be identified in tissues with a normal genome. We developed a method of detecting tissue-specific cell death in humans based on tissue-specific methylation patterns in cfDNA. We interrogated tissue-specific methylome databases to identify cell type-specific DNA methylation signatures and developed a method to detect these signatures in mixed DNA samples. We isolated cfDNA from plasma or serum of donors, treated the cfDNA with bisulfite, PCR-amplified the cfDNA, and sequenced it to quantify cfDNA carrying the methylation markers of the cell type of interest. Pancreatic β-cell DNA was identified in the circulation of patients with recently diagnosed type-1 diabetes and islet-graft recipients; oligodendrocyte DNA was identified in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis; neuronal/glial DNA was identified in patients after traumatic brain injury or cardiac arrest; and exocrine pancreas DNA was identified in patients with pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that the tissue origins of cfDNA and thus the rate of death of specific cell types can be determined in humans. The approach can be adapted to identify cfDNA derived from any cell type in the body, offering a minimally invasive window for diagnosing and monitoring a broad spectrum of human pathologies as well as providing a better understanding of normal tissue dynamics.
Il tema del martirio nell’Islam viene qui inquadrato in un’ampia prospettiva storica che ne contestualizza le componenti ideologiche, simboliche, sociali e politiche, evitando di focalizzare l’attenzione sulle motivazioni personali degli attentatori suicidi, come spesso è accaduto negli studi finora pubblicati.
A partire dal XX secolo e fino ai giorni nostri la pratica dell’autosacrificio ha sollevato accese dispute all’interno del mondo islamico, sia sciita sia sunnita. I movimenti più radicali l’hanno adottata come strumento principale del jihad, elevando gli attentatori suicidi al rango di martiri, altri hanno posto vincoli sul suo utilizzo, mentre le correnti più moderate l’hanno condannata da un punto di vista teologico o morale.
Meir Hatina esplora i diversi modi di concepire l’autosacrificio seguendone l’evoluzione attraverso i secoli, evidenziando i retaggi della tradizione ebraica, cristiana e di altre culture non islamiche nonché i legami con il contesto sociopolitico contemporaneo.
Attingendo a un vasto corpus di fonti di prima mano – cronache, testi giuridici, manifesti ideologici, memorie, testamenti, hadith e fatwa –, oltre che alla più recente letteratura storiografica e sociologica, il libro apre inedite prospettive su uno dei fenomeni più controversi e inquietanti del nostro tempo.
This work demonstrates antisolvent treatment of organo-metal halide perovskite film in hole conductor-free perovskite-based solar cell, achieving impressive power conversion efficiency of 11.2% for hole-conductor-free cells with gold contact. We found that antisolvent (toluene) surface treatment affects the morphology of the perovskite layer, and importantly, it also affects the electronic properties of the perovskite. Conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) and surface photovoltage show that the perovskite film becomes more conductive after antisolvent treatment. Moreover, the antisolvent treatment suppresses the hysteresis commonly obtained for perovskite-based solar cells. When the perovskite alone is characterized, a I-V plot of a single perovskite grain measured by cAFM shows that hysteresis vanishes after toluene treatment. During toluene treatment, excess halide and methylammonium ions are removed from the perovskite surface, leading to a net positive charge on the Pb atoms, resulting in a more conductive perovskite surface, which is beneficial for the hole-conductor-free solar cell structure. The reliability of the surface treatment was proved by calculating the statistical parameters Z score and p value, which were 2.5 and 0.012, respectively. According to these values, it can be concludedwith 95% confidence that the average efficiency of cells fabricated via surface treatment is greater than the average efficiency of cells without surface treatment. The statistical data support the impact of surface treatment on the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells.
Haviv Y, A, Zini , Y, Etzioni , V, Klitinich , A, Dobriyan , Y, Sharav , R, Benoliel , ו G, Almoznino . 8/27/2016.
“The Impact Of Chronic Orofacial Pain On Daily Life: The Vulnerable Patient And Disruptive Pain”. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol, (1), 123, Pp. 58-66. .
Publisher's Version Yong Seo Park, Polovka, Martin , Ham, Kyung-Sik Ham , Park, Yang-Kyun , Vearasilp, Suchada , Namieśnik, Jacek , Toledo, Fernando , Arancibia-Avila, Patricia , ו Gorinstein, Shela . 2016.
“Impact Of Cultivation Conditions, Ethylene Treatment, And Postharvest Storage On Selected Quality And Bioactivity Parameters Of Kiwifruit "Hayward" Evaluated By Analytical And Chemometric Methods.”. Journal Of Aoac International, 99, 5, Pp. 1310–1320. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.16-0149.
תקציר Organic, semiorganic, and conventional "Hayward" kiwifruits, treated with ethylene for 24 h and stored during 10 days, were assessed by UV spectrometry, fluorometry, and chemometrical analysis for changes in selected characteristics of quality (firmness, dry matter and soluble solid contents, pH, and acidity) and bioactivity (concentration of polyphenols via Folin-Ciocalteu and p-hydroxybenzoic acid assays). All of the monitored qualitative parameters and characteristics related to bioactivity were affected either by cultivation practices or by ethylene treatment and storage. Results obtained, supported by statistical evaluation (Friedman two-way ANOVA) and chemometric analysis, clearly proved that the most significant impact on the majority of the evaluated parameters of quality and bioactivity of "Hayward" kiwifruit had the ethylene treatment followed by the cultivation practices and the postharvest storage. Total concentration of polyphenols expressed via p-hydroxybenzoic acid assay exhibited the most significant sensitivity to all three evaluated parameters, reaching a 16.5% increase for fresh organic compared to a conventional control sample. As a result of postharvest storage coupled with ethylene treatment, the difference increased to 26.3%. Three-dimensional fluorescence showed differences in the position of the main peaks and their fluorescence intensity for conventional, semiorganic, and organic kiwifruits in comparison with ethylene nontreated samples.
Michael Elgart, Stern, Shay , Salton, Orit , Gnainsky, Yulia , Heifetz, Yael , ו Soen, Yoav . 2016.
“Impact Of Gut Microbiota On The Fly’s Germ Line”, 7, 1, Pp. 11280. .
Publisher's Version תקציר Unlike vertically transmitted endosymbionts, which have broad effects on their host’s germ line, the extracellular gut microbiota is transmitted horizontally and is not known to influence the germ line. Here we provide evidence supporting the influence of these gut bacteria on the germ line of Drosophila melanogaster. Removal of the gut bacteria represses oogenesis, expedites maternal-to-zygotic-transition in the offspring and unmasks hidden phenotypic variation in mutants. We further show that the main impact on oogenesis is linked to the lack of gut Acetobacter species, and we identify the Drosophila Aldehyde dehydrogenase (Aldh) gene as an apparent mediator of repressed oogenesis in Acetobacter-depleted flies. The finding of interactions between the gut microbiota and the germ line has implications for reproduction, developmental robustness and adaptation.
Abstract The flow of water between soil and plants follows the gradient in water potential and depends on the hydraulic properties of the soil and the root. In models for root water uptake (RWU), it is usually assumed that the hydraulic properties near the plant root (i.e., in the rhizosphere) and in the bulk soil are identical. Yet a growing body of evidence has shown that the hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere are affected by root exudates (specifically, mucilage) and markedly differ from those of the bulk soil. In this work, we couple a 3-D detailed description of RWU with a model that accounts for the rhizosphere-specific properties (i.e., rhizosphere hydraulic properties and a nonequilibrium relation between water content and matric head). We show that as the soil dries out (due to water uptake), the higher water holding capacity of the rhizosphere results in a delay of the stress onset. During rewetting, nonequilibrium results in a slower increase of the rhizosphere water content. Furthermore, the inverse relation between water content and relaxation time implies that the drier is the rhizosphere the longer it takes to rewet. Another outcome of nonequilibrium is the small fluctuation of the rhizosphere water content compared to the bulk soil. Overall, our numerical results are in agreement with recent experimental data and provide a tool to further examine the impact of various rhizosphere processes on RWU and water dynamics.
