scholarly journals Dinosaur paleohistology: review, trends and new avenues of investigation

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alida M. Bailleul ◽  
Jingmai O’Connor ◽  
Mary H. Schweitzer
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Bone Microstructure ◽  
Vertebrate Paleontology ◽  
Evolutionary Transition ◽  
Sister Clade ◽  
Future Potential ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Molecular Paleontology ◽  
Evolution Function

In the mid-19th century, the discovery that bone microstructure in fossils could be preserved with fidelity provided a new avenue for understanding the evolution, function, and physiology of long extinct organisms. This resulted in the establishment of paleohistology as a subdiscipline of vertebrate paleontology, which has contributed greatly to our current understanding of dinosaurs as living organisms. Dinosaurs are part of a larger group of reptiles, the Archosauria, of which there are only two surviving lineages, crocodilians and birds. The goal of this review is to document progress in the field of archosaur paleohistology, focusing in particular on the Dinosauria. We briefly review the “growth age” of dinosaur histology, which has encompassed new and varied directions since its emergence in the 1950s, resulting in a shift in the scientific perception of non-avian dinosaurs from “sluggish” reptiles to fast-growing animals with relatively high metabolic rates. However, fundamental changes in growth occurred within the sister clade Aves, and we discuss this major evolutionary transition as elucidated by histology. We then review recent innovations in the field, demonstrating how paleohistology has changed and expanded to address a diversity of non-growth related questions. For example, dinosaur skull histology has elucidated the formation of curious cranial tissues (e.g., “metaplastic” tissues), and helped to clarify the evolution and function of oral adaptations, such as the dental batteries of duck-billed dinosaurs. Lastly, we discuss the development of novel techniques with which to investigate not only the skeletal tissues of dinosaurs, but also less-studied soft-tissues, through molecular paleontology and paleohistochemistry—recently developed branches of paleohistology—and the future potential of these methods to further explore fossilized tissues. We suggest that the combination of histological and molecular methods holds great potential for examining the preserved tissues of dinosaurs, basal birds, and their extant relatives. This review demonstrates the importance of traditional bone paleohistology, but also highlights the need for innovation and new analytical directions to improve and broaden the utility of paleohistology, in the pursuit of more diverse, highly specific, and sensitive methods with which to further investigate important paleontological questions.

scholarly journals Modulation of Innate Immune Toxicity by Silver Nanoparticle Exposure and the Preventive Effects of Pterostilbene

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2536
Author(s):  
Rong-Jane Chen ◽  
Chiao-Ching Huang ◽  
Rosita Pranata ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Lee ◽  
Yu-Ying Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Transgenic Zebrafish ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Cytokines And Chemokines ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Immune Toxicity

Silver nanoparticles pose a potential risk to ecosystems and living organisms due to their widespread use in various fields and subsequent gradual release into the environment. Only a few studies have investigated the effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) toxicity on immunological functions. Furthermore, these toxic effects have not been fully explored. Recent studies have indicated that zebrafish are considered a good alternative model for testing toxicity and for evaluating immunological toxicity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity effects of AgNPs on innate immunity using a zebrafish model and to investigate whether the natural compound pterostilbene (PTE) could provide protection against AgNPs-induced immunotoxicity. Wild type and neutrophil- and macrophage-transgenic zebrafish lines were used in the experiments. The results indicated that the exposure to AgNPs induced toxic effects including death, malformation and the innate immune toxicity of zebrafish. In addition, AgNPs affect the number and function of neutrophils and macrophages. The expression of immune-related cytokines and chemokines was also affected. Notably, the addition of PTE could activate immune cells and promote their accumulation in injured areas in zebrafish, thereby reducing the damage caused by AgNPs. In conclusion, AgNPs may induce innate immune toxicity and PTE could ameliorate this toxicity.

scholarly journals Brain Long Noncoding RNAs: Multitask Regulators of Neuronal Differentiation and Function

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3951
Author(s):  
Sarva Keihani ◽  
Verena Kluever ◽  
Eugenio F. Fornasiero
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Differentiation ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Long Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Control Robustness ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Regulatory Functions ◽  
Neuronal Physiology

The extraordinary cellular diversity and the complex connections established within different cells types render the nervous system of vertebrates one of the most sophisticated tissues found in living organisms. Such complexity is ensured by numerous regulatory mechanisms that provide tight spatiotemporal control, robustness and reliability. While the unusual abundance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in nervous tissues was traditionally puzzling, it is becoming clear that these molecules have genuine regulatory functions in the brain and they are essential for neuronal physiology. The canonical view of RNA as predominantly a ‘coding molecule’ has been largely surpassed, together with the conception that lncRNAs only represent ‘waste material’ produced by cells as a side effect of pervasive transcription. Here we review a growing body of evidence showing that lncRNAs play key roles in several regulatory mechanisms of neurons and other brain cells. In particular, neuronal lncRNAs are crucial for orchestrating neurogenesis, for tuning neuronal differentiation and for the exact calibration of neuronal excitability. Moreover, their diversity and the association to neurodegenerative diseases render them particularly interesting as putative biomarkers for brain disease. Overall, we foresee that in the future a more systematic scrutiny of lncRNA functions will be instrumental for an exhaustive understanding of neuronal pathophysiology.

scholarly journals Balancing Bees and Livestock: Pastoralist Knowledge, Perceptions and Implications for Pollinator Conservation in Rangelands, Northern Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 194008292110281
Author(s):  
Faith Thomas Mpondo ◽  
Patrick A. Ndakidemi ◽  
Anna C. Treydte
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Livelihood Diversification ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Rangeland Health

Insect pollinators provide numerous ecosystem services that support other living organisms. While pollinators play a large role in cropping systems, little is known about their presence and function in rangeland ecosystems, which have recently become fragmented and overexploited at an extraordinary rate. We assessed local Maasai knowledge on insect pollinators and how pollinators affect livelihood diversification in Simanjiro rangelands, Tanzania. Through questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations, we found varied insect knowledge among Maasai herders. Lasioglossum of sub genus Ipomalictus and Syriphidae were the least commonly recognized pollinators as only 24%, and 7% of participants could identify them, respectively. Responses varied significantly between men and women (F = 7.397, p = .007). Commiphora africana, Acacia mellifera and Albizia anthelmintica were noted as most important bee forage plants while observations showed Aspilia mossambicensis, Justicia debile and Acacia tortilis. Most (77%) of Maasai herders showed limited ability to link pollinators and rangeland wellbeing. Beekeeping contributed to livelihood diversification for 61% of respondents, with women participating more frequently than men (χ2 = 46.962, p = .0001). Beekeeping was positively influenced by education level ( R = .421, p < .0001) and occupation ( R = .194, p = .009). Pollinator declines were attributed to climate change (47%), agriculture (37%), and habitat destruction (8%). We conclude that Maasai have limited knowledge of common pollinator groups and their roles. Community outreach and training should bridge the knowledge gap in pastoralist communities to fully realize pollinator benefits and highlight the importance of rangeland health.

The Structure and Function of Living Organisms

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Konieczny ◽  
Irena Roterman-Konieczna ◽  
Paweł Spólnik
Keyword(s):  
Structure And Function ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals Nanotechnology Innovations in Construction Industry and Environmental Sustainability

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11S) ◽  
pp. 286-291
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Future Potential ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Future

Nanotechnology is a speedily increasing and innovating range of research, where advanced characteristics of resources manufactures on the nanoscale can be exploited as advantages for people at large through various methods or mechanisms of construction. Being a varied technical and scientific arena that brings and covers numerous application kinds, the contribution of nanotechnological innovations is immense for various sectors of construction industries. It also possesses a large future potential for ecological efficiency, which is dire need of the hour. In construction industry there are many factors involved to achieve the major goal of sustainability like smart design, planning through which energy can be saved, resource usage can be reduced and environmental damage can be avoided. No doubt, the application of nanotechnology materials and its various causes on the atmosphere and living organisms are not clearly defined yet which can become a problem. For instance, leakage of materials into the water resources, and seas, as well, discharge of nanoparticles into the air generating dust and exposure to harmful materials during various construction, maintenance and use etc. Considering tremendous revolution in Nanotechnological field there is an important aspect in relation to the impact of nanoparticles and nanomaterials on human health and environment which should be discussed at length. This paper intends to give a research review of current and near future, safety and eco-efficiency applications of nanotechnology to not only improve and maintain but also deal with certain future challenges and directions related to the sustainable development.

scholarly journals A developmental biologist’s journey to rediscover the Zen of plant physiology

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
José R. Dinneny
Keyword(s):  
Plant Physiology ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Plant Biology ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Adaptive Mechanisms ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

Physiology, which is often viewed as a field of study distinct from development, is technically defined as the branch of biology that explores the normal function of living organisms and their parts. Because plants normally develop continuously throughout their life, plant physiology actually encompasses all developmental processes. Viewing plant biology from a physiologist’s perspective is an attempt to understand the interconnectedness of development, form, and function in the context of multidimensional complexity in the environment. To meet the needs of an expanding human population and a degrading environment, we must understand the adaptive mechanisms that plants use to acclimate to environmental change, and this will require a more holistic approach than is used by current molecular studies. Grand challenges for studies on plant physiology require a more sophisticated understanding of the environment that plants grow in, which is likely to be at least as complex as the plant itself. Moving the lab to the field and using the field for inspiration in the lab need to be expressly promoted by the community as we work to apply the basic concepts learned through reductionist approaches toward a more integrated and realistic understanding of the plant.

THE INTERACTIONS OF VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES IN PEATLANDS AND MARSHES

1987 ◽  
Vol 119 (S140) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry R. Murkin ◽  
Bruce D.J. Batt
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Avian Community ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dead Plant ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

AbstractThis paper reviews the interactions of vertebrates and invertebrates in peatlands and marshes to assess current knowledge and future research needs. Living organisms may interact through a number of direct trophic and nutrient pathways and a variety of non-trophic, habitat-dependent relationships. Freshwater marshes and peatlands are dynamic aquatic environments and organisms that occupy these areas must be adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. The avian community illustrates the main interactions of invertebrates and vertebrates in peatlands and marshes. Waterfowl, along with fish and furbearers, are the most economically important vertebrates using these habitats. Each of these groups has important trophic and habitat links to the invertebrates within wetlands.The most common interaction between vertebrates and invertebrates is the use of invertebrates as food by vertebrates. Few studies, however, have dealt with trophic dynamics or secondary production within wetlands. Waterfowl, fish, and many other wetland vertebrates, during all or part of their life cycles, regularly feed on invertebrates. Some invertebrates are vectors of disease and parasites to vertebrates. Vertebrates can directly affect the structural substrate that invertebrates depend on as habitat through consumption of macrophytes or through the use of living and dead plant material in the construction of houses and nests. Conversely, herbivorous invertebrates may directly affect the survival and distribution of macrophytes in wetlands. Macrophyte distribution, in turn, is an important factor in determining vertebrate use of wetlands. The general lack of both taxonomic and ecological information on invertebrates in wetlands is the main hindrance to future elucidation of vertebrate–invertebrate interactions in these environments. Development of invertebrate sampling techniques suitable for wetland habitats also is necessary. More specific research needs must be met to develop a better understanding of the structure and function of these dynamic systems.

Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Disease and Therapy

2014 ◽  
Vol 995 ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbuba Rahman ◽  
M. Rubayet Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Pentose Phosphate ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Abnormal Cells ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

Pentose phosphate (PP) pathway, which is ubiquitously present in all living organisms, is one of the major metabolic pathways associated with glucose metabolism. The most important functions of this pathway includes the generation of reducing equivalents in the form of NADPH for reductive biosynthesis, and production of ribose sugars for the biosynthesis of nucleotides, amino acids, and other macromolecules required by all living cells. Under normal conditions of growth, PP pathway is important for cell cycle progression, myelin formation, and the maintenance of the structure and function of brain, liver, cortex and other organs. Under diseased conditions, such as in cases of many metabolic, neurological or malignant diseases, pathological mechanisms augment due to defects in the PP pathway genes. Adoption of alternative metabolic pathways by cells that are metabolically abnormal, or malignant cells that are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs often plays important roles in disease progression and severity. Accordingly, the PP pathway has been suggested to play critical roles in protecting cancer or abnormal cells by providing reduced environment, to protect cells from oxidative damage and generating structural components for nucleic acids biosynthesis. Novel drugs that targets one or more components of the PP pathway could potentially serve to overcome challenges associated with currently available therapeutic options for many metabolic and non-metabolic diseases. However, careful designing of drugs is critical that takes into the accounts of cell’s broader genomic, proteomic and metabolic contexts under consideration, in order to avoid undesirable side-effects. In this review, we discuss the role of PP pathway under normal and abnormal physiological conditions and the potential of the PP pathway as a target for new drug development to treat metabolic and non-metabolic diseases.

scholarly journals A 2′-O-Methyltransferase Responsible for Transfer RNA Anticodon Modification Is Pivotal for Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 in Arabidopsis

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 1323-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Ramírez ◽  
Beatriz González ◽  
Ana López ◽  
Maria Jose Castelló ◽  
Maria José Gil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Transfer Rna ◽  
Resistance Response ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Trna Modifications ◽  
Trna Species ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is the most highly modified class of RNA species in all living organisms. Recent discoveries have revealed unprecedented complexity in the tRNA chemical structures, modification patterns, regulation, and function, suggesting that each modified nucleoside in tRNA may have its own specific function. However, in plants, our knowledge of the role of individual tRNA modifications and how they are regulated is very limited. In a genetic screen designed to identify factors regulating disease resistance in Arabidopsis, we identified SUPPRESSOR OF CSB3 9 (SCS9). Our results reveal SCS9 encodes a tRNA methyltransferase that mediates the 2′-O-ribose methylation of selected tRNA species in the anticodon loop. These SCS9-mediated tRNA modifications enhance susceptibility during infection with the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae DC3000. Lack of such tRNA modification, as observed in scs9 mutants, specifically dampens plant resistance against DC3000 without compromising the activation of the salicylic acid signaling pathway or the resistance to other biotrophic pathogens. Our results support a model that gives importance to the control of certain tRNA modifications for mounting an effective disease resistance in Arabidopsis toward DC3000 and, therefore, expands the repertoire of molecular components essential for an efficient disease resistance response.

The skull

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E. Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Facial Skeleton ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
Temporomandibular Joints ◽  
Maxilla And Mandible ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Dental students and practitioners require a sound knowledge of the structure, growth, and development of the skull as a whole. The structure of the skull can be examined and studied more efficiently if you have access to a dried skull or one of the very good plastic replica skulls which are now available; you can identify the structures on the diagrams accompanying the following descriptions and examine a skull at the same time to appreciate the size and relationships of individual components. This chapter outlines the basic principles of the development and structure of the skull and includes some reference to individual bones where this makes understanding easier. The more detailed aspects of particular regions of the skull will be covered in the appropriate chapter describing the whole anatomy of that region; it is much easier to learn the parts of the skull in context of overall structure and function rather than learning a long list of bones, foramina, and muscle attachments in isolation from the related soft tissue structures. Only the maxilla and mandible which are bones of significant clinical importance are described as separate bones. As already demonstrated in Chapter 20, the skull is the structural basis f or the anatomy of the head. The skull has many functions. • It encloses and protects the brain. • It provides protective capsules for the eyes and middle and inner ear. • It forms the skeleton of the entrances to the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) through the nose and mouth, respectively. Those skull components that form the entrance to the GIT also house and support the teeth and soft tissues of the oral region as part of this function. As already outlined in Chapter 20, the skull is made up of several bones joined together to form the cranium which articulates with the separate mandible forming the lower jaw at the temporomandibular joints. The cranium specifically refers to the skull without the mandible; the terms ‘skull’ and ‘cranium’ are not strictly synonymous but they are frequently used as though they are. The cranium can be subdivided into the braincase enclosing the brain and the facial skeleton.

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