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Biological Advantages (biological + advantage)
Selected AbstractsQuantitative analysis of gene expression in human articular chondrocytes assigned for autologous implantationJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 6 2008Ariana Barli Abstract Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) relies on the implantation of in vitro expanded cells. The aim was to study the dedifferentiation of human articular chondrocytes under different cultivating conditions [days 0,10 in the primary culture (P0); passages in a monolayer from P0 to P3; monolayer vs. alginate and monolayer vs. alginate/agarose hydrogels] using real-time PCR analysis. The relative gene expressions for collagen type I and II, aggrecan and versican were quantified and the corresponding differentiation indexes (Col2/Col1, Agr/Ver) were calculated. The values of both differentiation indexes decreased exponentially with time in the P0 monolayer culture, and continued with a significant decrease over the subsequent monolayer passages. On the contrary, the chondrocytes seeded in either of the hydrogels significantly increased the indexes compared to their parallel monolayer cultures. These results indicate that alginate and alginate/agarose hydrogels offer an appropriate environment for human articular chondrocytes to redifferentiate after being expanded in vitro. Therefore the three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel chondrocyte cultures present not only surgical, but also biological advantage over the classic suspension,periosteum chondrocyte implantation. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:847,853, 2008 [source] Preparation and application of a novel environmentally friendly organic seed coating for riceJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 13 2009Defang Zeng Abstract BACKGROUND: Traditional rice seed coating techniques involve the use of chemical pesticides, which can damage the seed in the process and cause possible physical and environmental damage. Increasing knowledge and concern about the traditional applications have brought new attention to the industry and the search for a novel coating agent that is effective, safe and environmentally friendly. A new type of organic rice seed coating agent was developed using liquid-based polymeric adhesives. By using chitosan as the main raw material, modified with sodium hydroxide and polymerised with plant growth regulators and other additives, the novel seed coating agent is a safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative. RESULTS: The novel seed coating agent significantly enhanced sprout growth over traditional agents. We found it has obvious biological advantages: it stimulates the seedling growth of rice, advances the growth of root, improves root activity and increases the crop yield in the germination test and field trial. Compared with the traditional rice seed coating agent, the crop yield of seeds coated by the novel seed coating agent was increased by 5%, and at 25% less cost. The fungal inhibition test of the novel seed coating agent and acute toxicity test on fish showed that it has an obvious fungal inhibitory effect and a higher safety index during usage and disposal. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that treating seeds with the novel seed coating agent has significant agricultural implications through the enhanced seed vigour as reflected in growth. It is efficient and effective, resulting in better seed and crop protection. The novel seed coating agent demonstrates unique characteristics with great economic and environmental benefits. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] The pathology of ageing: concepts and mechanisms,THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007JE Martin Abstract The rising numbers and proportion of aged individuals in the population is a global demographic trend. The diseases associated with ageing are becoming more prevalent, and the associated healthcare costs are having a significant economic impact in all countries. With these changes have come great advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of ageing. The mechanisms of cellular ageing at a genetic, protein and organelle level are becoming clearer, as are some of the more complex associations between environment and ageing. System ageing is also becoming better understood, and the potential biological advantages of ageing are being explored. Many of the advances in these fields are opening up the prospect of targeted therapeutic intervention for ageing and age related disease. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] From structure of the complex to understanding of the biologyACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 1 2007Michael G. Rossmann The most extensive structural information on viruses relates to apparently icosahedral virions and is based on X-ray crystallography and on cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single-particle reconstructions. Both techniques lean heavily on imposing icosahedral symmetry, thereby obscuring any deviation from the assumed symmetry. However, tailed bacteriophages have icosahedral or prolate icosahedral heads that have one obvious unique vertex where the genome can enter for DNA packaging and exit when infecting a host cell. The presence of the tail allows cryo-EM reconstructions in which the special vertex is used to orient the head in a unique manner. Some very large dsDNA icosahedral viruses also develop special vertices thought to be required for infecting host cells. Similarly, preliminary cryo-EM data for the small ssDNA canine parvovirus complexed with receptor suggests that these viruses, previously considered to be accurately icosahedral, might have some asymmetric properties that generate one preferred receptor-binding site on the viral surface. Comparisons are made between rhinoviruses that bind receptor molecules uniformly to all 60 equivalent binding sites, canine parvovirus, which appears to have a preferred receptor-binding site, and bacteriophage T4, which gains major biological advantages on account of its unique vertex and tail organelle. [source] | ||||||||||