Yi TANG^1,*, Carlos Alberto BUSSO²

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 61-66, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07015

Abstract Elm (Ulmus pumila L.) is the dominant tree species in the sparse elm woodland, the original vegetation in the Horqin Sandy Land. The effects of changes in precipitation on U. pumila trees have not been fully studied. We determined a dynamic model by considering the five stages in the U. pumila life cycle, i.e. seed, seedling, and juvenile, mature and over-mature tree stages. The effects of changes in precipitation on population density and age structure were then evaluated. Population density, after averaging all study developmental morphology stages, ranged from 16.67 individuals/m2 to 25.01 individuals/m2 under a mean annual precipitation (MAP)… More >

Hoda M. EL-EMSHATY¹, Entsar A. SAAD², Mona S. GOUIDA³, Zahraa R. ELSHAHAWY^1,2

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 55-60, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07009

Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-cirrhotic patients have the highest threat of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and may be at risk of extra hepatic cancer. The present study was designed to investigate CD133 and CK19 in HCV (genotype-4)-cirrhotic patients with/without HCC or extra hepatic cancer, to assess the degree of their correlation with cell cycle abnormalities and finally to assess the role of their combination as diagnostic tool for discrimination of cirrhotic patients with HCC from those with extra hepatic cancer. The study included 77 HCV-cirrhotic patients and 20 healthy non-disease control group. Patients were categorized histo-pathologically into: 24 have only liver… More >

Haifeng WANG^{1, 2, 3} , Hongxuan HE²

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 47-54, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07006

Abstract The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes among Bacteria are a serious threat to global health. Their occurrence in animals which are in contact with humans is also important. The Chinese cobra (Naja atra, Elapidae), though a highly venomous species, is appreciated as food and as a source of materials used in traditional Chinese medicine. We are here reporting the isolation of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Enterobacteriaceae) from the lung of Naja atra, obtained from a snake farm in a Beijing suburb. Our study analyzed, using gene sequencing, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in three K. pneumoniae… More >

Estela M. MUÑOZ

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 41-46, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07011

Abstract Until recently, microglia were mainly known as the resident phagocytes of the brain, i.e. the ‘immunological warriors’ of the brain. However, extensive knowledge is being accumulated about the functions of microglia beyond immunity. Nowadays, it is well accepted that microglial cells are highly dynamic and responsive, and that they intervene in a dual manner in many developmental processes that shape the central nervous system, including neurogenesis, gliogenesis, spatial patterning, synaptic formation and elimination, and neural circuit establishment and maturation. The differentiation and the pool of precursor cells were also shown to be under microglia regulation via bidirectional communication. In this… More >

Maximiliano GIRAUD-BILLOUD^1,2,*, Claudio M. FADER^1,3, Rocío AGÜERO², Fernando EZQUER⁴, Marcelo EZQUER⁴

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 35-40, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07010

Abstract Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most frequent cause of chronic renal failure. Until now, the pathophysiological mechanisms that determine its development and progression have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we evaluate the role of autophagy at early stages of DN, induced in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mouse, and its association with proximal tubule membrane endocytic receptors, megalin and cubilin. In T2DM animals we observed a tubule-interstitial injury with significantly increased levels of urinary GGT and ALP, but an absence of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Kidney proximal tubule cells of T2DM animals showed autophagic vesicles larger than those observed… More >

LINGFENG CHEN^1,2,3, ZHIPENG GAO^1,2,3, BAIMEI LIU^1,2,3, YING LV^1,2,3, MEIWEN AN^1,2,3,*, JILING FENG^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 25-34, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.06114

Abstract Arterial characterization of healthy descending thoracic aorta (DTA) is indispensable in determining stress distributions across wall thickness and different regions that may be responsible for aorta inhomogeneous dilation, rupture, and dissection when aneurysm occurs. Few studies have shown the inhomogeneity of DTA along the aorta tree considering changes in circumferential direction. The present study aims to clarify the circumferential regional characterization of DTA. Porcine DTA tissues were tested according to region and orientation using uniaxial tension. For axial test, results show that the difference in circumferential direction was mainly in collagen fiber modulus, where the anterior collagen fiber modulus was… More >

Bingbing ZHANG^{1, 2}, Ying ZHANG^{1, 2}, Xiaomei ZHANG^{1, 2}, Yonggang LV^{1, 2}

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 17-24, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.06115

Abstract Mechanical microenvironment can strongly affect the metastatic efficiency of circulating tumor cells. However, the effect of suspension state on their extravasation and the mechanisms involved are still unclear. To explore the influence of suspension state on extravasation (including adhesion, spreading and transendothelial migration) of breast tumor cells and its relevant molecular mechanism, MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured on poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) coated 6-well plates to minic the suspension state. Suspension state promoted adhesion, spreading and transendothelial migration of MDA-MB-231 cells to EAhy926 endothelial cells (ECs) monolayer under both the static condition and 0.5 dyne/cm² flow shear stress (FSS). The number of… More >

Sergio Andrés CARMINATI^1,2, María Carolina BARBOSA², Claudio Marcelo FADER^1,2*

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 13-16, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07008

Abstract Autophagy is an essential cellular homeostatic mechanism by which intracellular components are delivered into the lysosomes for degradation and recycling. Autophagy has been related with a diversity of pathological or physiological dentary processes such as bone remodeling, skeletal aging, osteoclastogenesis, osteoblastogenesis and different types of oral cancer. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), isolated from autologous blood, is a plasma preparation containing a higher concentration of platelets which contains numerous different growth factors and cytokines that activate several cellular signaling cascades. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of PRP on autophagy stimulation in both osteoblast precursor 3T3-L1 and non-related… More >

Mahmoud MOUSTAFA^1,2*, Tarek TAHA³, Mohamed ELNOUBY⁴, M.A. ABU-SAIED⁵, Ali SHATI¹, Mohamed AL-KAHTANI¹, Sulaiman ALRUMMAN¹

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 7-12, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07002

Abstract Many recent studies are concerned with low cost, easy to handle and alternative renewable energy as a feasible solution for the upcoming crisis of energy shortage. Microalgae are unicellular entities the can only depend on CO2, water and solar power to cover their nutritional needs. The current study is concerned with using algal cells in a polymeric hydrogel, as a cheap source of energy for electricity generation. Chlorella vulgaris has been proved to be a promising algal species for electricity generation, as compared with Micractinium reisseri. PVA hydrogel has been used for the immobilization of both algal species in order… More >

Arwa Osama NEMER¹, Mohammad Saud AL ANAZI², Ramesa Shafi BHAT^1*, Arjumand S. WARSY³, Zeneb A BABAY⁴, Mohammad H. ADDAR⁴, Jilani SHAIK², Sooad AL-DAIHAN¹

BIOCELL, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 1-6, 2018, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2018.07005

Abstract Genomic instability and mutations caused by increases in oxidative stress during pregnancy can damage the fetoplacental unit and can upshot preterm birth. Oxidative damage to DNA may possibly be involved in etiology of preterm birth (PTB) which can be repaired by DNA repair gene. In the present study, we assessed the association of base excision repair gene family by analyzing the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms and genes expression in 8-oxoguanine glycosylase-1 (OGG1) and apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) genes with risk of preterm birth in Saudi women. We analyzed genotypes of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1052133, rs293795, rs2072668 and… More >