Early cetaceans evolved from terrestrial quadrupeds to obligate swimmers, a change that is traditionally studied by functional analysis of the postcranial skeleton(1). Here we assess the evolution of cetacean locomotor behaviour from an independent…
Aneuploidy with chromosome instability is a cancer hallmark. We studied chromosome 7 (Chr7) copy number variation (CNV) in gliomas and in primary cultures derived from them. We found tumor heterogeneity with cells having Chr7-CNV commonly occurs in…
Improvements in three-dimensional imaging technologies have renewed interest in the study of functional and ecological morphology. Quantitative approaches to shape analysis are used increasingly to study form-function relationships. These methods are…
Allen's Rule documents a century-old biological observation that strong positive correlations exist among latitude, ambient temperature, and limb length in mammals. Although genetic selection for thermoregulatory adaptation is frequently presumed to…
The pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, is attributed, in part, to intestinal bacteria that may initiate and perpetuate mucosal inflammation in genetically susceptible individuals. Paneth cells (PC) are the…
Vocal communication is an important aspect of guinea pig behaviour and a large contributor to their acoustic environment. We postulated that some cortical areas have distinctive roles in processing conspecific calls. In order to test this hypothesis…
Background: This study elucidates exposure-response relationships between performance of repetitive tasks, grip strength declines, and fibrogenic-related protein changes in muscles, and their link to inflammation. Specifically, we examined forearm…
Introduction: Expression levels of miR-146b-5p and -3p microRNAs in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with recurrence of the disease after surgery. To understand this, the effect of miR-146b overexpression was studied in A549…
Tracing the evolution of ancient diseases depends on the availability and accessibility of suitable biomarkers in archaeological specimens. DNA is potentially information-rich but it depends on a favourable environment for preservation. In the case…
An upper molar tooth of a possibly new but unnamed prosimian primate (Mammalia, Primates) is described from the Middle Eocene, in the uppermost part of the Subathu Group exposed east of Babbian Gala near Kalakot (northwestern Outer Himalaya) in the…
Leptin is the primary hormone in mammals that regulates adipose stores. Arctic adapted cetaceans maintain enormous adipose depots, suggesting possible modifications of leptin or receptor function. Determining expression of these genes is the first…
Endometriosis (ENDO) is a disorder in which vascularized growths of endometrial tissue occur outside the uterus. Its symptoms include reduced fertility and severe pelvic pain. Mechanisms that maintain the ectopic growths and evoke symptoms are poorly…
Transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, characterized by expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, is a key event in connective tissue remodeling. Approaches to inhibit this…
A new type of technology in proteomics was developed in order to separate a complex protein mixture and analyze protein functions systematically. The technology combines the ability of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) to separate proteins…
As part of a broader effort to identify postreceptor signal regulators involved in specific diseases or organ adaptation, we used an expression cloning system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to screen cDNA libraries from rat ischemic myocardium, human…
The hypothesis of disease-related large mammal extinction has new support. A unique pathologic zone of resorption was first noticed in a Hiscock Mammut americanum metacarpal. The pathognomonic zone of resorption was present in fifty-nine (52%) of 113…
Bile acids concentration in liver is tightly regulated to prevent cell damage. Previous studies have demonstrated that deregulation of bile acid homeostasis can lead to cholestatic liver disease. Recently, we have shown that ER-bound transcription…
Recent members of the order Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) move in the water by vertical tail beats and cannot locomote on land. Their hindlimbs are not visible externally and the bones are reduced to one or a few splints that commonly…
Strategically-paired Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands induce a unique dendritic cell (DC) phenotype that polarizes Th1 responses. We therefore investigated pairing single TLR ligands with a non TLR-mediated danger signal to cooperatively induce…
Photoresponsive delivery systems that are activated by high energy photo-triggers have been accorded much attention because of the capability to achieve reliable photoreactions at short irradiation times. However, the application of a high energy…
