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Thoughts on Coral Gables Commission Group III 2021 Election
Posted on April 11, 2021 by Michael Froomkin
Group II is stuffed with plausible candidates. In relative, and maybe absolute terms, Group III is a desert.
There are four candidates: Javier Baños (#80); Alex Bucelo (#81); Kirk Menendez (#82); Phillip "PJ" Mitchell (#83).
There are two elephants in this race: Baños and Menendez. I have trouble with both.
If you just went by the two candidates' forums (fora?) you would have to say that Baños was the most well-spoken and authoritative. As a CPA and lawyer, he likely wins on paper too. The problems are the substance of what he says, and the baggage he brings with him. I have never been a fan of candidates who say their number one priority is to take it out of the hide of city workers, yet that is what Baños said in response to a question. Over the last decade Coral Gables, like a lot of municipalities, has made some changes to its pension system to reduce long-term liabilities; apparently that's not enough for Baños, who wants more. At at time when the city faces major environmental challenges and some serious issues about the pace of development and the degree of citizen notice and involvement in commission decisions, this is an odd first priority.
Then there's the baggage. Baños's experience is outside the Gables, from Miami and Miami Beach. Local blogger Elaine de Valle suggests he has ties not just to Miami Commissioner "Crazy Joe" Carollo, which is bad, but also to Marc Sarnoff, the great failed hope of progressives turned political Svengali, and the money trail (see below) supports that claim.
People also are beating up on the other elephant, Kirk Menendez, for supporting zoning changes in the Crafts district which just happen to greatly increase the value of his property. Personally, I can't get excited about that 'issue'. What gets me is the anemic platform, the likelihood that he'd be a negative force on the Commission. He's for parks, civility, and "hometown charm." That's nice but not really responsive to the issues of the day. He's for "smart development" too, whatever that is, but it's mostly a nostalgia agenda. I want a lot more.
Menendez's main claim to fame–and it seems, office–is a long career as a soccer coach at the Coral Gables Youth Center. (Although, in fairness, Menendez does have a law degree from St. Thomas.) He knows a lot of folks, and they like him. But listening to him in the forums, reading his rather scanty online platform, makes me think he'll be, at best, a follower, and not necessarily of the right people. He's all about keeping things the way they are–or were. Either pablum, or code for bad things. I think pablum, probably, but who knows.
It's petty, but Menendez also is the only candidate in either Group II or Group III who has spammed me. (Keon spam-texted me.) My neighbor who flew the long-past-its-sell-date Trump flag has a Menendez sign (along with his Lago and Cruz-Gimenez signs), so that isn't good either.
I spoke with PJ Mitchell on some of his previous campaigns, and found him likable and sincere — but very very committed to an anti-spending agenda, which inevitably would impact public services. Other bloggers, who have done a better job than I of covering this race, have tended to characterize his last-minute campaign this year as not serious, and he hasn't done a good job of responding to questionnaires. I like the guy, but I'm not a fan of the agenda, whether or not he's in it for real. Judging by the mailer volume at my house, he's way underfunded compared to the other candidates.
That leaves Alex Bucelo. He didn't cover himself with glory at the candidates' forums. Sometimes he sounded fine, sometimes he seemed a bit over his head. On the plus side, he's endorsed by former Mayor Dorothy Thomson, whose endorsements I think carry weight. On the minus side, former Mayor Cason endorsed him too. On the plus side, so did former Mayor Don Slesnick.
The dark money mailers tell a confused story in this race. "Citizens for a Better Miami-Dade Government" (based in Miami, Bradley Cassel, Chairman) sent me attack mailers against Bucelo and Menendez. The Herald reports that
Cassel is a former member of the South Miami pension board, on which he served alongside Javier Baños, who is competing with Menendez in Group Three.
The political committee has reported only $30,000 raised, all of it last month. Most of the money — $25,000 — came from Truth is the Daughter of Time, another political committee chaired by lobbyist and former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. Alvarez, Carbonell, Feltman & DaSilva PL, a Gables-based firm, contributed the other $5,000.
Meanwhile, the "Communities First Project" (based in Tallahassee, chaired by Christian Camara) sent me attack mailers against Bucelo, Menendez, and Baños. Camara is a Republican politician based in Tallahassee; what the connection is to Coral Gables might be (or to Mitchell, who would seem to be the beneficiary of these mailers) isn't clear.
The absence of dark money mailers sent to benefit the Bucelo and Mendendez campaigns is a point or two in their favor.
There really isn't a candidate I can feel happy about in this group. Bucelo seems the least bad in the bunch, if only because least formed. Baños seems the most competent — but would, I fear, use those talents to take us in the wrong direction. Menendez is the candidate of old Gables, a flavor that has no attraction for me. Mitchel might have made a case for himself if he'd tried harder.
So I guess I would say Bucelo is the least problematic of the bunch, followed, I guess, maybe by Menendez. But who knows, really?
The fact is that voters like me, people who really only focus on local politics every so often, have been particularly badly served by this campaign, especially if we were sheltering in place. The Herald has done a sort-of-decent job of coverage, but circulation is way down, some key articles were paywalled online. The candidates' forums were too crowded for us to get much sense of what candidates thought about issues, a round-robin format where no one got to speak very much, although the Chamber of Commerce/UM event organizers did their best to manage the crowd of candidates.
On the other hand, the second forum, held at Carver, was an informational disaster. Most of the questions were, unsurprisingly, about education-related issues. But that is a subject that the Coral Gables Commission has very little sway over, that being the role of the county-wide School Board. We were treated to three hours of discussion that concentrated on it anyway. And, at the end we were told that there was no time for the audience questions that had been promised, either. (I wanted to ask about the weird, excessive, traffic calming proposal unveiled a few weeks ago. No go for the question–or future cars either.) Yes, there is/was one genuine schools related issue: the existing Commission's back-room deal to allow a gas station to be built across from Carver Elementary. Trouble is, both serious candidates in the Mayor's race were part of it, and none of the Group II or III candidates were, so by and large they were free to bash it at will. Didn't tell us much, and could have safely been one question amidst many more diverse ones in a properly organized event.
A few local blogs have tried to fill the gap, but sometimes in a partisan way. And of course all the mailers — I'm really tired of the mailers, but what else can candidates do?
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3 Responses to Thoughts on Coral Gables Commission Group III 2021 Election
Javier Baños, Esq CPA says:
I appreciate the commentary and the introduction. Remember that no candidate is anyone thing, and the Bucelo campaign has spent significant money with their paid blogger, to paint the wrong picture of my campaign. My only relationship to Carollo is that my firm did the campaign books and public reporting in 2017. However, given my experience in public life, vs a candidate in bucelo that has zero experience and does not actually pay taxes in the city, they use a paid blogger to generate chisme cloaked as journalism yo "ask questions." It is an old trick. I have advocated for the elimination of out of scale development, and for the financial health of the pension plan because those two items will prevent or limit any environmental proactive action for the future. I welcome any question 3055195581. Javier Banos
Michael Froomkin says:
It's a common hit on Bucelo that he 'has never paid property taxes in Coral Gables'; since he claims to live here, I presume he's a renter. Is the theory that renters are less entitled to a voice on the Commission?
Also, there's the matter of the anonymous hit mailers in the name of groups created for that purpose only….some of us are not reconciled to the by now common run-around on transparency rules that campaigns routinely use at elections. Fine. We just don't have to vote for it. For all that it may have received some developer money, the Bucelo campaign does not appear to have sunk to that.
PS I am not a paid blogger; but it is sadly clear that some other blogs are not very even-handed.
There is no anonymity. I could be wrong, but in these local elections, where people's hard earned taxes (and how they are spent) are the main source of debate, I (as a voter) find it a bit problematic to put forward a candidate that has received all the developer assistance and pays none of the consequences for his future decisions. These are moneyed interests that want a sure support on the commission bought and paid for a candidate who will need them in the future. I have spent 15 years serving my local community — I am doing this because we most participate in order to have the government we deserve. I don't have all the answers and it will be in the hands of voters, as it is rightly the case, I can only promise to do the best I can to Sever their interests. I have not received nor will I accept any of their money.


Did you know that all bicycles that are used in Provo must be licensed? Help us prevent the theft of bicycles in our community by registering and licensing your bicycle with City of Provo.
Bicycle licenses are valid through the life of the bike with the same owner. To register a bicycle, please bring it to the Provo Police Department so that the serial number can be verified. The bicycle will have a stamped manufacturer's serial number on the frame (usually on underside of the bike frame). If this number has been obliterated or does not exist, the Provo Police have a metal stamp kit and can stamp a number on the bike.
There is no fee for a Bicycle License.
Notary Services Notary services are available 7AM to 6PM, Monday through Thursday. Please bring current government issued photo identification and paperwork needed notarized.
Request Event Security This must be completed at least 10 days prior to event.
Victim Services Victim Services provide crisis intervention , emotional and judicial support, and critical service referral for victims and their children. They also work hard to promote community awareness of domestic violence issues.
At Risk & Special Needs Registration At times, our officers come into contact with people of all ages who are lost. Most of the time, getting them back home is fairly simple. Other times, we encounter people who are disoriented or have a condition that prevents them from remembering their name, personal information, addresses, and names of relatives or other information that would be helpful in returning them home. Alzheimer's, autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or a wide variety of other medical or mental conditions, may cause this disorientation.
Circumstances such as these make it difficult for officers to help the person quickly, but more importantly, it creates an additional burden on the person and on the family or caregivers who may not know what is occurring or where they are.
The Provo Police Department has developed a registration program for people with special needs who may be prone to wander or become disoriented. This program is limited to those individuals who cannot, or have a limited ability to, communicate with emergency responders.
As part of the program, we receive and store photographs, emergency contact information, and other personal information for special needs citizens. This information is made readily available to Provo Police Department Officers. It is stored and accessed in such a manner that first responders may make faster identifications, reunite family members quicker, and get those persons the help they need faster.
Participation in this program is purely voluntary. The information collected is kept secure and is only used by Provo Police Department employees to assist those persons in need of our help. The information collected under this program is CONFIDENTIAL and will need to be updated yearly for children and as needed for adults.
If you would like to participate in the Provo Police Special Needs Assistance Registration Program, simply complete the Special Needs Assistance Registration Form, attach a photo (photos must be resized to 640 x 480 if sent electronically), fill out the necessary information and return it to Dispatch at the Provo Police Department or email it.
Special Needs Information Sheet The Special Needs Information Sheet may be completed for Provo City residents who have been identified by a medical professional or emergency responder as having a mental or intellectual disability that makes them at risk for becoming lost or wandering off. This information will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used in emergency situations to assist in locating relatives/guardians for a special needs person.
Please e-mail this form and a picture. Updated pictures and forms may be sent to this same e-mail at any time. Information may also be mailed into our office or brought in person.


Internet kill switch: Government might have to disclose its Standard Operating Procedure 303 policy.
In 2011, one week after BART officials turned off cellphone service in its stations during a protest, Anonymous showed up.
A recent legal victory by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, where I work, may soon shed light on a secret policy governing the shutdown of private wireless networks. The protocol, known as Standard Operating Procedure 303 or the Internet "kill switch," sets out the government's policy for initiating citywide deactivation of all wireless communications networks. The Department of Homeland Security created the policy in 2006.
We're all familiar with the role wireless networks play in our lives. They allow us to make phone calls, send text messages, organize political protests, and watch watercolor re-creations of Blade Runner. Because cutting off communications imposes a prior restraint on speech, the First Amendment imposes the strictest of limitations. In particular, after deactivation, the government would have to prove that restrained speech is unprotected and make sure a court promptly reviews the shutdown.
In limited situations, there might be legitimate reasons for shutting down wireless networks. But the potential for abuse is obvious. Repressive governments have repeatedly cut off wireless service to stop protesters from organizing. In the United States, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) deactivated cellphone service in several subway stations in 2011 to prevent a protest over the fatal shooting of Charles Blair Hill by BART police.
How do we know that DHS is following the First Amendment or considering these important interests adequately? We don't. While the BART has released a short cell service interruption policy, DHS has said nothing about its deactivation policy apart from a single paragraph in an old report.
That may soon change. Earlier this year, EPIC filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act seeking the release of the shutdown policy, and recently, a federal judge ruled that DHS may no longer withhold the details of the policy. The order has been stayed for 60 days to give the agency the chance to appeal, but the ruling is an important development for government accountability and free speech, and gives us the best chance yet of understanding this secret protocol.


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New signs ahead of the decision on Morocco's participation in the "concern" in Algeria
By Jamie Green On Jan 12, 2023
Morocco's participation in the African Championship of Nations was a major breakthrough after the decision of the Moroccan Football Federation to return the players of the national team to the camp of the preparation team for the tournament.
Local Moroccan players have been instructed to return to the Mohammed VI compound after they left to catch up with their clubs, which means there is a high possibility that Morocco will participate in the Shan tournament hosted by Algeria.
And according to the Koora website, there is another indicator that strengthens Morocco's participation in the continental championship – this is the transmission of "Kaf" to Moroccan officials the news that the Algerian organizing committee accepted the condition for the Moroccan aircraft, so the African Union took the initiative to announce the list Moroccan local team participating in the "concern" through the official website of the tournament, which nominated him to defend his title.
And sources said that Patrice Motsepe, president of the African Confederation of Football (CAF), will travel to Morocco from Algeria after attending the federation's executive office on the sidelines of preparations for the opening ceremony. "Chan" and with him he will carry the decisive decision that will officially announce the participation of the local Moroccan team, in the championship, after Algeria agreed to the arrival of the Royal Air Maroc aircraft in Constantine.
Motsepe, accompanied by International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino, is scheduled to spend Thursday to attend the World Cup club draw on Friday before returning to Algeria to attend the opening of Shan.
Source: Quora website
Jamie Green268 posts
Biden is "surprised" by the secret documents in the private office

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


NTB guarantees truck drivers the same 48 hours off each week, allowing you to plan ahead and make the best of your home time. While some days are great for staying home and relaxing, it's also fun to get out of the house and take advantage of the city you live in. NTB is hiring truck drivers in Grand Rapids - if you live here and are interested in working for the company, or already do, here is a list of fun things to try in your spare time.
The downtown market is a great place to walk around and enjoy a diverse selection of local food. They also offer educational classes for couples, kids, and individuals about healthy living and preparing your favorite food. Visit their website for more information.
Regardless of your age, the zoo can be a fun place to spend time and see wild animals. If you haven't been to the zoo, or it's been a while, we recommend this family-friendly attraction. Visit their website for more information.
Frederik Meijer Gardens is a 158 acre botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park. This perfect blend of nature and fine art is a site you won't want to skip. Take advantage of the visitor tours, programs, and interactive activities they offer all year long. Visit their website for more information.
Did you know Millennium park is one of our nation's largest urban parks? This park offers walking trails, a beach and splashpad, boat rentals and more! Visit their website for more information.
Museums spur new ideas, good conversation, and give you something to do on a rainy day. Whether you spend an hour walking through the exhibit or all day reading each artifact, the museum is a fun way to engage and educate yourself on important pieces of history.
If you love sports, attending a sporting event is a great way to relax when you aren't at work. Luckily, Grand Rapids has a variety of sports teams.
If you're looking for a job near Grand Rapids and think you'd make a good fit, apply today! We're also hiring truck drivers at our other locations - visit our website for more information.


At the end of each year, us marketers love to foretell the major trends for the coming 12 months. If you have read any of these marketing predictions in the past five years it's a pretty safe bet that it will have heard that this year is going to be 'the year of mobile'. I can guarantee 2013 will be no different.
So why then, has mobile not been embraced? We know with certainty that the future of marketing communication is centred around mobile. How do we know that? Because that's where the customers are. Australia has one of the highest penetration rates for smartphones in the world. We are literally addicted to our mobile phones and use them for… well, just about everything. Shopping, chatting, directing, conversing, complaining, reviewing… and the list goes on.
So if the audience is there, why in Australia do we spend less than 1% of marketing budgets on mobile? The reasons are many.
Goodness – if that is our interpretation of mobile marketing we are in more trouble than previously thought!
Secondly, mobile marketing is vast and not technologically simple. It ranges from the 'obvious' such as mobile-enabled websites to the 'growing', such as mobile apps, to the 'simply too far ahead to contemplate', including near-field communication and augmented reality. Marketers cannot embark on these ventures by themselves. It requires expertise and technical capability to really deliver a mobile experience. This in turn requires investment.
Which leads to the third point. Making the investment in mobile marketing requires courage. Why? Because we are venturing into unchartered territory. We know we need to be in mobile, but we don't necessarily know what is going to work for our company…and what is not. How many brands are brave enough to take the investment leap into mobile when they could equally spend the marketing budget on channels they know deliver results. At the moment, the answer is 'not many'.
Will that change in 2013? It has to. The technology is there. The audience is there. Now we need the brave new marketers to be there too.


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Genomics holds great promise, but it also confronts us with new questions.
Genomics has made rapid advancements over the past decades, yet there are still many questions to which scientists seek answers. Past experience has shown that society has genuine concerns over how biotechnology may impact our healthcare, food safety and quality, and the environment.
It is important to keep genomics in the public consciousness as the science evolves. It is equally important to integrate stakeholder input into the research to identify societal needs and acceptable applications of these technologies.
The more informed society is on the challenges it faces, the more it will prosper. Providing all citizens with fact based information and presenting the pros and cons of evolving technologies is required for the kind of thoughtful decision-making needed to develop and inform policy that will help realize the benefits of genomics.
We believe research beyond the application of genomics to a specific project or product, is as important as the genomics research itself. For example, the study of the societal impacts of genomics has always been a required component in Genome Canada's large-scale applied research project funding.
In addition, Genome BC has developed its own unique programs to address this important area of research — genomics and the ethical, economic, environmental, legal and societal implications (commonly referred to as GE3LS).
WHAT IS GE³LS RESEARCH?
Learn more about the ethical, environmental, economical, legal, and societal aspects of genomics research.
icoWhyGE3LS
WHY IS GE³LS IMPORTANT?
Listening and participation are key to understanding why society accepts particular technologies over others
GE³LS RESEARCH IN BC
From healthcare to natural resources, search our projects database for GE³LS research in BC
Societal issues in genomics
Genome BC is committed to driving the responsible use of genomics in order to advance knowledge and ensure that genomics benefits society as a whole. We believe in sharing fair and balanced information around the ethical, environmental, economical, legal, and societal aspects of genomics research. The information provided below is intended to help people better understand this transformative science and the issues that may have implications in society.
sector_ico_Agrifood_trans Agrifood
Regulation of Genetically Modified and Genetically Engineered Products in Canada
How was this regulation created? The Federal Regulatory Framework for Biotechnology was established in 1993 by the Canadian Government. One of the principles of the Framework is th...
sector_ico_GenomicsSociety_trans Genomics and Society
What is genetic discrimination? People become victims of genetic discrimination when they are treated differently because of a specific gene mutation they carry. Concern about gene...
sector_ico_Tech_trans Technology
What is eDNA? DNA left behind from living organisms that is collected from soil, water, snow, air and other environments. The DNA is matched with primers, acting as fingerprints to...
What is synthetic biology? Synthetic biology is a relatively new and rapidly evolving interdisciplinary area of scientific research that focuses on the design and fabrication of bi...
sector_ico_Fisheries_trans Fisheries/Aquaculture
What is aquaculture? Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. It is, basically, farming in water. The main types o...
sector_ico_Environment_trans Environment
What are biosolids? Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic materials recovered during the treatment of wastewater or sewage. Biosolids undergo regulated physical, chemical, and biolog...
What is a microbiome? A microbiome is the microbial community associated with an animal, plant or other host or with a terrestrial, aquatic or other ecosystem. Microbiomes include ...
What is pharmacogenomics? Pharmacogenomics is the science that studies the role of the genome (the complete set of genes in an organism) related to an individual's response to a ...
What is gene therapy? Gene therapy involves using genes to cure or prevent disease. Most treatments for genetic diseases can only address the symptoms, but the hope for gene therap...
What is climate change? Climate change presents a potentially devastating threat to humans and many other species on Earth. Surviving this threat requires immediate and long-term e...
What is GMO? GMOs are organisms whose DNA has been altered by genetic engineering. When scientists generate GMOs, they combine existing pieces of DNA in new ways to give an organis...
What is gene editing? Gene editing involves removing, and sometimes replacing, individual genes or part of genes using "molecular scissors." Gene editing can achieve much great...
Direct to Consumer Genetic Testing (DTC Testing)
What is DTC testing? DTC testing, also known as at-home genetic testing, refers to genetic tests available directly to consumers without the involvement of a health care profession...
What is genetic testing? Genetic testing examines DNA or proteins to identify anomalies linked to particular diseases, or to determine ancestry, paternity or ethnicity. How is the ...


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Carriera

Club
Nel 1997 ha debuttato nella squadra della sua città, il Bbc Grosseto, vestendo la maglia biancorossa fino al 2011 quando la società non si iscrisse al campionato successivo.

Nel corso della militanza a Grosseto, nel 2008, De Santis ha rischiato di dover interrompere la sua carriera a causa della rottura del legamento collaterale ulnare, che fu sostituito da un tendine prelevato dallo stesso giocatore.

Si è poi trasferito al Nettuno, con cui ha giocato i campionati 2012 e 2013, prima di passare alla Fortitudo Baseball Bologna complici i problemi economici del team laziale.

Nazionale
De Santis ha all'attivo 38 presenze con la Nazionale italiana. Tra queste, si includono le partecipazioni alle Olimpiadi di Sydney 2000 e Atene 2004, oltre che a tre Mondiali (2001, 2003, 2009), cinque Europei (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010) e al World Baseball Classic 2006.

Palmarès

Club
 Campionati italiani: 4
Grosseto: 2004, 2007
Bologna: 2014, 2016

 Coppe Italia: 3
Grosseto: 1999, 2004
Bologna: 2015

 Coppe dei Campioni: 1
Grosseto: 2005

Nazionale
 Campionati europei: 1
Italia: 2010

Note

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Steel Battalion is an infamous 2002 game for the Xbox in which the players take the role of a rookie pilot charged with maneuvering a "Vertical Tank" on the battlefield.
The game came packaged with a brilliant conceit: a custom controller featuring two joysticks, three foot pedals, and some 40 buttons, all of which had in-game functions. Brand new, it retailed at nearly $200 US.
The "Vertical Tank" was notoriously difficult to control, and was prone to tipping over, overheating, and exploding. If the player didn't initiate the eject sequence in time, a "perma-death" feature would erase their saved progress. Truly, Steel Battalion is a game for mecha-masochists.
Now a group of fans led by David Shuff have taken the Steel Battalion experience to the next level with the B.S.B.B. ("Big Steel Battalion Box") Mk II. This custom-made immersion cockpit puts the player in the cockpit of a "Vertical Tank", complete with flashing lights, a rumble-seat, and numerous other bells and whistles.
Shuff and co. have also introduced a new element: asymmetrical cooperative game-play. While one player pilots inside the box, another player outside of the box acts as a "coach" by viewing their progress on monitors and attempting to explain what the various buttons do via a land-line phone connection.
The original B.S.B.B. debuted in November of 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. The Mark II version will be on display at the Bay Area Maker Faire on May 15 and 16, 2015, in San Mateo, California.


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Walk with Mark on a magic four miles
Published: 5:08 PM January 19, 2016
Cotswold Canals Trust - Credit: Archant
Cotswold Canals Trust has made a marvellous video featuring one of its better known members, author and historian Professor Mark Horton, to back its £15-million funding bid to connect the Stroudwater Navigation to the network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocmNDtGqVL0
The proposal to restore the four-mile stretch of the Cotswold Canals between Saul Junction and The Ocean at Stonehouse was submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in November 2015 and a decision is expected this April.
Some six miles have already been restored and if the funding application is successful, the aspiration for 'The Stroudwater Navigation — Complete and Connected' can become a reality. In five years the canal would once again be joined to the network, with boats being able to travel from the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal at Saul into the heart of Stroud.


Pre-season both Arsenal and Everton would have fancied themselves to go far in the Europa League.
But ahead of matchweek four of the group stage, things couldn't be more contrasting for the two Premier League outfits.
Arsenal are set to cruise into the knockout stages, while Everton's season could take yet another blow with an early European exit.
Defeat to Leicester City on Sunday piled the pressure on beleaguered Everton. And now they head into arguably their toughest fixture of the Europa League group stage.
The Toffees could be booted out of the tournament after just four games if they lose to Lyon and Atalanta beat Apollon Limassol.
And there's a good chance they will lose in France. Lyon are unbeaten in seven games, and it's a test of their ability that only Paris Saint-Germain have managed to beat them this season.
The hosts a good shout at 1/2 to end Everton's Europa adventure.
And having scored 18 goals at home this season – coupled with the Merseysiders drawing a blank in four of their six on the road – Lyon are worth serious consideration in the -1 handicap at 13/10.
Everton have been starting poorly too. The Toffees have conceded the first goal in five of their last six games, and haven't kept a first half clean sheet in any of those fixtures.
So Lyon to be leading after 30 minutes could appeal at 17/10, while the hosts are 13/10 in the Half-Time/Full-Time.
Nabil Fekir netted in the 2-1 win at Goodison Park, and the French ace is now on 10 goals for the campaign after a brace versus Metz at the weekend.
The in-form striker is 13/10 to score anytime and 4/1 to net first.
While Everton have floundered on the continent, Arsenal have been doing just fine and can book their spot in the knockout stages with a win.
The Gunners have won all three games so far, and boss Arsene Wenger has used the competition to offer much-needed game-time to the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere.
There isn't too much to get excited about in the 1/3 on a home win versus Crvena Zvezda.
But both BATE Borisov and FC Koln have netted past this youthful and largely untested Arsenal back-line. So backing a Gunners win and both teams to score offers much better value at 7/4.
Equally, Arsenal to win and over 3.5 goals is on at 7/4 too.
Giroud has been revelling in his European outings this season. The Frenchman has played every minute of the group stage, netting twice.
We make the former Montpellier man 13/5 favourite to score first, and 11/4 to score anytime.
Click here for all our Europa League odds.


CANNA COGr Flores is a complete professional nutrient for plants. It contains all the essential elements for optimal flowering. COGr in combination with COGr growing medium is the nutrient for the experienced and demanding grower.
COGr FLORES is the nutrient for the blooming period of the plant. It stimulates blossoming, juice production and large fruits. This nutrient is popular among demanding growers that like to be in full control.


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Cryptocoryne cordata Griff.
Cryptocoryne cordata var. cordata, Cryptocoryne kerrii Gagnep., Cryptocoryne siamensis var. kerrii (Gagnep.) Rataj, Cryptocoryne stonei Rataj [1]
Malaysia Hati-hati paya, keladi paya (Peninsular) [2][3]
Thailand Waa nam (Surat Thani); u-bee kaling-ai (Malay, Narathiwat) [2].
Cryptocoryne cordata can be found in southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. It occurs in streams of forests. [2]
C. cordata comes from the family of Araceae. It is a small, aquatic, perennial herb and with creeping rhizome which can grow up to 40 cm tall. [2]
The leaves are arranged in a rosette, simple and entire, ovate to narrowly ovate, measuring 5-30 cm x 2.5-10 cm, rounded to cordate at base, acute at apex, with blistered surface, dark green above and often purplish below. The petiole is 15-40 cm long and with sheath at base. [2]
The inflorescence is a spadix with a few female flowers in a single whorl and a few olfactory bodies at base, and also with numerous male flowers and a club-shaped appendix at apex. [2]
The female and male flowers are separated by a long, naked axis. The spadix is completely enclosed within a spathe up to 35 cm long, consisting of a swollen basal part ('kettle'), a long-tubular middle part and a spreading, yellowish to purplish blade, which is up to 6 cm long. The entrance of the kettle is with a lateral flap, covering the male zone of the spadix. The flowers are unisexual and without perianth. The male flowers are with a single stamen while the female flowers are with connate, 1-celled ovaries with curved styles and large stigmas. [2]
The fruit is a berry which connates into an ovoid, fleshy syncarp, dehiscing apically and many-seeded. [2]
Figure 1: The line drawing of C. cordata Griff. [2]
The Plant List. Ver1.1. Cryptocoryne cordata Griff.[homepage on the Internet]. c2013 [updated 2012 Mar 23; cited 2015 May 06]. Available from: http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-51977
Cryptocoryne cordata Griffith. In: Lemmens RHMJ, Bunyapraphatsara N, editors. Plant Resources of South-East Asia 12 (3): Medicinal and Poisonous Plants 3. Leiden, Netherlands: Backhuys Publication; 2003.
Herbal Medicine Research Centre, Institute Medical Research. Compendium of medicinal plants used in Malaysia. Volume 1. Kuala Lumpur: HMRC IMR; 2002. p. 227.


Originally published on September 24, 2018.
Feed the Future Ethiopia Growth through Nutrition Activity is the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) flagship multi-sectoral nutrition and WASH project. This USAID-funded project aims to improve the nutritional status of women and young children in four of Ethiopia's regions, focusing on the first 1000 days (from conception to age two). Building off of the ENGINE project, Growth through Nutrition is working across all government and society levels to bring multi-sectoral nutrition programming to community levels, and link development and emergency efforts to build resiliency and sustainability.
As a sub-partner to Save the Children, Land O'Lakes International Development is focusing on increasing access to diverse, safe and quality foods through nutrition sensitive livelihood activities. Specifically, Land O'Lakes is supporting the growing of more nutritious and productive varieties of vegetables, fruits, legumes, bio-fortified crops and production of small livestock.
This publication was made possible through support provided by Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, under the terms of agreement No. AID-663-A-11-00017. The opinions expressed herein are those of Save the Children and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development.


If you have a sheet please fill out out. I'd also like the character concept posted so everybody has a fair idea of who is what.
Willing to stick a neck out for a friend, though could care less about a stranger to step on.
He travels around for the most part, hoping to find someplace that feels like home.
He dose have a knack for "Appropriating" items of use at times, more then he would care to admit.
Overall, despite being what one might consider evil, he's just looking for the means to find someplace he would feel home at.
So far we have a warlock and a sorcerer, as well as a fighter.
Marea Falhurn, 19 Year Old Aasamir with Rakshasa blood. Sorceror, Chaotic Good.
Marea is a perfect little noble girl. Polite, Courteous, Pretty. And spoilt, bratty and picky. Marea would rather be back in the castle she used to live in than doing what she's doing now, but she has little choice.
Asking her about why she isn't in her castle is a bad idea unless you want to put up with pouting, huffing and crying for the next few hours.
4. Open "Type" list, Select "D&D 3.5e"
And once you set Current XP, it will list the XP total for next level.
Just a quick note, if you choose to be an aasamir or tiefling, remove the resistances and you'll be set to join.
Céilidh comes from a background shared with few, due to the loyalty of his society. Sent on a form of enlightenment he travels the worlds with the goal of living life to its fullest, and enjoying as many cultures as he can before he returns for seerage.
Started on putting things down on a sheet finally, sorry for how long it took to get around to this.
Oh good to hear! I can't wait for it.
Hello there, fellow adventurers! It is my pleasure to introduce Kalrin Shadowsteel!
Little more a thief who knows how to swing a sword, he's made a name for himself in his own mind as a puckish rogue with good taste for other people's valuables.
Slightly less miserly than a dwarf with a hoarding problem, he tends to enjoy the simpler things in life: Hot meals, warm beds, strong drinks and the company of people who know how to have a good time.
Single class Rogue, Chaotic Neutral.
Good to have you aboard. We're still waiting on Travis to finish his sheet, as well as Max and Aumn.
OKAY PEOPLE. TIME TO GET SERIOUS. IF YOU HAVEN'T POSTED A SHEET BY NOW, I'M GIVING YOU EXACTLY ONE MONTH TO WORK IT OUT. AFTERWARDS I WILL START THE GAME. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT POSTED BY JUNE 18TH, 2014 YOU WILL MISS OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN.
I'VE BUMPED THE DEADLINE BACK TO SUNDAY. THE CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN NEXT MONDAY. I WILL POST THE THREAD THEN. THANKS EVERYBODY.
Friendly reminder, the deadline is tomorrow night at 11:59 PM, PST. For most of you that'll probably be about 2:59.
Deadline is tonight just before midnight!
One more thing, we're going to be doing a 'dry' run first when I get home from work tomorrow. This will be to get everybody familiar with the mechanics of the game. For those of you play it regularly, it'll be a chance to get back in the flow. For those of you who are new, it'll be a good way to start.
I'm giving travis a reprieve because he was almost done with his sheet and because I logged off before I could answer his questions, but so far it looks like we have a fighter/rogue, fighter/sorcerer, full rouge, rogue/whatever it was Slip is because I forgot.
Warlock, you allowed me use of warlock. This shall be most interesting once we get started.
Thanks slip. As soon as Dez *Glares vaguely over in his direction* posts his sheet, we'll start our dry run. You'll have until next Tuesday to respond, otherwise your actions for that round will be skipped.


Marantz UK | Marantz has announced a new and exciting partnership with leading digital music service, Spotify.
Marantz has announced a new and exciting partnership with leading digital music service, Spotify.
Marantz and Spotify have joined forces to offer unlimited, high-quality listening pleasure through selected Home Cinema Receivers.
After applying a simple online firmware update, Marantz users will be able to enjoy access to millions of songs, providing hours of listening enjoyment.


text:
The list of ship decommissionings in 1997 includes a chronological list of all ships decommissioned in 1997.

See also

1997
 Ship decommissionings
Ship


The Interstate 64 (I-64) highway improvements project broke ground in September 2015. Image courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation.
The project includes addition of a 12ft-wide travel lane and another 12ft-wide shoulder in each direction in all three segments. Image courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation.
The I-64 improvements project includes widening of nine existing bridges and six box culverts in second segment. Image courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation.
I-64 improvements are expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Image courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation.
Interstate highway 64 (I-64), the second longest interstate highway in the US after I-94, spans across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia in the US. The highway is currently being improved to increase safety and reduce congestion.
The project is being managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and will be completed in three segments.
Improvements in the first segment of the project are expected to be completed in December 2017 with a $122m investment, while the second segment costing $189.7m is scheduled for completion in mid-2019.
The improvements project is being undertaken to address traffic congestion, and safety and ageing infrastructure issues along the I-64 corridor. Traffic volumes are the highest between exits 190 and 192 in Newport News, and between exits 255 and 264 in Hampton cities.
"The project is being managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and will be completed in three segments."
Roughly two-thirds of the I-64 mainline located near I-95 at the western end of the corridor operates at a deficient level of service (LOS). Future traffic volumes are expected to increase, further compounding congestion issues.
The existing roadway also suffers from a number of design deficiencies, creating operational and safety issues. For example, 12 bridge structures are present along the I-64 corridor that do not comply with minimum vertical clearance of 16.5ft required as per the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and VDOT interstate design standards.
Two ramps located at exits 258 and 261 witness exceeding traffic volumes. Majority of the accidents on the I-64 corridor occur within the rural four-lane section of the corridor located between exits 200 and 243.
The VDOT and the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) studied and evaluated alternatives for the improvement of the I-64 corridor under the Interstate 64 Peninsula Study.
The alternative solutions proposed under the study included a no-build alternative, a transportation systems management (TSM) / travel demand management (TDM) alternative, an investigation of future passenger/freight rail and a range of highway build alternatives.
Alternative one, which proposed addition of general purpose lanes to the I-64 mainline to achieve a level of service of C or better in the design year 2040, was identified as the preferred option in the final environmental impact statement (EIS) in December 2013.
The project will offer increased capacity, reduce travel delays, minimise geometric and structure deficiencies at the interchanges, and improve safety by reducing congestion. It will also enhance access to tourist attractions, and provide improved transport for freight in and out of the Port of Virginia.
The first segment of the improvements project involves a 5.6-mile (9.01km) segment from Jefferson Avenue to Yorktown Road. The improvements to be carried out in the first segment include addition of one 12ft-wide travel lane and another 12ft-wide shoulder in each direction, and widening the existing four-lane road to six lanes.
Widening will occur mainly in the median of the existing interstate. The existing bridges along the corridor will also be widened to the inside.
The second segment of the I-64 is located in the Newport News, James City and York counties. The 7.08-mile (11.39km) segment includes the extension of a three-lane section of the I-64 from the ending point of the first segment. The improvements include pavement reconstruction of existing lanes, and addition of 12ft-wide travel lanes and 12ft-wide shoulder lanes. It also includes widening nine existing bridges.
Located in York county, the third 8.2-mile (13.19km) segment will extend the three-lane section of the I-64 from the end point of the second segment. The proposed improvements in the section include pavement reconstruction of existing lanes, and addition of 12ft-wide travel lanes and 12ft-wide shoulder lanes. The widening of four bridges and the replacement of two bridges will also take place.
Construction on the first segment of I-64 at Newport News commenced in September 2015 and is expected to be completed by December 2017.
Construction on the second segment began in October 2016. The preliminary works included site surveying and design development, as well as shoulder strengthening in the eastbound direction, which was followed by similar works in the westbound direction.
Construction of barriers and median work will commence by the end of 2016. The rehabilitation work at the Lee Hall Reservoir and Fort Eustis Boulevard bridges is also due for completion. The second segment improvements are expected to be fully completed by spring 2019.
Shirley Contracting Company was awarded an $84.8m design-build contract for the first segment of the project in February 2015. Dewberry Consultants was selected as the lead designer for the project.
Allan Myers was awarded a $138.8m contract for the second section in January 2016.
A pioneer in the development of geosynthetic products for civil engineering applications, Bonar has been supplying solutions for projects calling for reliable erosion prevention, drainage, soil reinforcement, stabilisation and consolidation since the early 1960s.
The ULTRA Guard Safety System, developed by Potters Industries, improves visibility of highway hazards by providing a continuous retro-reflective guide through danger zones on and along the roadway. This unique, reasonably priced, roadway delineation system enhances drivers' depth perception and road awareness 24 hours a day in all types of weather.


text:
Castle Rock dad spends 6 weeks helping COVID patients in NYC, returns home to boisterous reunion
Paul Boykin amazed at resilience shown by others
When Paul Boykin was asked if he wanted to go serve on the front lines of the COVID pandemic in New York, the young Castle Rock dad jumped at the chance.
DENVER -- When Paul Boykin was asked if he wanted to go serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, the young Castle Rock dad jumped at the chance.
His wife, Alicia, was fearful, but supportive.
She said she had to replace her fear with faith that he would come back in good health.
He did.
Alicia, and the couple's three children, 6-year-old Paul, 4-year-old Solomon and 2-year-old Eden, drove to the airport from Castle Rock for a boisterous reunion Friday morning.
With masks over their faces, Alicia led the children into the main terminal.
Eden carried a large inflated eagle balloon, symbolizing American freedom, while her brothers both wore "I Love NY" t-shirts.
The children were anxiously awaiting their father's return, after his six-week stint at Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx.
Alicia came up with a novel way to help the kids countdown the days until their dad's return.
"We made a chain rope with papers," she said. "We've been cutting (a link) every day, so to throw the last one away was fun."
After patiently waiting in the terminal for about 30 minutes, the kids spotted their dad as he walked off the escalator.
"Daddy!! Daddy!!" they yelled, while darting between other passengers, to jump into his waiting arms.
Paul hugged each child, and then his wife.
He told Denver7 he saw things in New York that many nurses with 20, 30 or 40 year careers never see.
"Death and dying, but also people coming home," he said. "That's the biggest thing, people coming home, being able to say thank you and seeing them leave."
He said he was struck by the number of care-givers that got sick, and recovered.
"Just yesterday we had a party for one of the first co-workers that contracted COVID, really sick, intubated at one point in time. She got to go home," he said.
The "agency" nurse said the work wasn't easy.
"I think I did about 35 days straight, 12 to 14 hour days. But I got the day-shift, so that was good," he said.
When asked what he'll remember most about the experience, Boykin replied, "the resilience of people. People of all different walks of life coming together. Being what, really, the United States is about, a united group of people."
He said he's happy to be home.
When asked what he plans to do first, he said, since restaurants are closed, he'll probably go home, catch up on some sleep and just enjoy being with his family again.
Alicia said there's been a little more chaos without Paul, noting that she's been in charge of a household with three very active kids.
She said she's looking forward to "sharing" parenting duties again.
"Tag, your it," she said. "I might take a nap before he does."
Coronavirus | Denver7
11:45 AM, Feb 27, 2020


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Publications by authors named "Birsen Elibol"
Astragalus membranaceus treatment combined with caloric restriction may enhance genesis factors and decrease apoptosis in the hippocampus of rats.
Deniz Dilan Setel Merve Beker Sule Terzioglu-Usak Birsen Elibol
Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2021 Nov 20;99:104584. Epub 2021 Nov 20.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:
Humans have been searching for ways of extending life span, and possible underlying molecular mechanisms behind it for many years. Traditional plants and their extracts are good candidates for finding anti-aging strategies. In addition to its usage in a variety of medical treatments such as inflammation, neural diseases and cancer, Astragalus membranaceus was used to extend lifespan of C. elegans. Therefore, we aimed to show the molecular mechanisms of the possible anti-aging effects of combination of A. membranaceus and caloric restriction. Herein, Wistar rats (n = 24) were divided into Control, A. membranaceus (A) (25 mg/kg A), Caloric restriction (CR) (20% restricted-diet), and CR+A (25 mg/kg A + 20% CR diet) groups. After 18 weeks, behavioral tests were applied to observe alterations on cognitive functions. After animals were decapitated, their hippocampi and livers were dissected for molecular analysis and telomerase activity. Eventually, CR increased learning performances of rats with an increase in the telomerase activity when combined with astragalus. There was a negative correlation between learning and apoptosis parameters. In the CR group, the apoptosis rate increased, and the pyramidal neuron numbers decreased which were reached to control levels with A treatment. The CR+A treatment significantly increased the BDNF level. The A also significantly increased GDNF level independent from CR. In the combination group, the neurogenesis and angiogenesis markers increased with an increase in the anti-senescence protein klotho land a decrease in the apoptosis. In conclusion, combination of caloric restriction with A. membranaceus would become a promising strategy for healthy cognitive aging.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104584 DOI Listing
Inflammatory Cytokines are in Action: Brain Plasticity and Recovery after Brain Ischemia Due to Delayed Melatonin Administration.
Ulkan Kilic Birsen Elibol Merve Beker Burcugul Altug-Tasa Ahmet Burak Caglayan Mustafa Caglar Beker Bayram Yilmaz Ertugrul Kilic
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2021 Dec 20;30(12):106105. Epub 2021 Sep 20.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:
Objectives: Post-ischemic inflammation leads to apoptosis as an indirect cause of functional disabilities after the stroke. Melatonin may be a good candidate for the stroke recovery because of its anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, we investigated the effect of melatonin on inflammation in the functional recovery of brain by evaluating ipsilesional and contralesional alterations.
Materials And Methods: Melatonin (4 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally administered into the mice from the 3 to the 55 day of the post-ischemia after 30 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Results: Melatonin produced a functional recovery by reducing the emigration of the circulatory leukocytes and the local microglial activation within the ischemic brain. Overall, the expression of the inflammation-related genes reduced upon melatonin treatment in the ischemic hemisphere. On the other hand, the expression level of the inflammatory cytokine genes raised in the contralateral hemisphere at the 55 day of the post-ischemia. Furthermore, melatonin triggers an increase in the iNOS expression and a decrease in the nNOS expression in the ipsilateral hemisphere at the earlier times in the post-ischemic recovery. At the 55 day of the post-ischemic recovery, melatonin administration enhanced the eNOS and nNOS protein expressions.
Conclusions: The present molecular, biological, and histological data have revealed broad anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin in both hemispheres with distinct temporal and spatial patterns at different phases of post-stroke recovery. These outcomes also established that melatonin act recruitment of contralesional rather than of ipsilesional.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106105 DOI Listing
A low direct electrical signal attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in septic rats.
Savas Ustunova Ebru Haciosmanoglu Huri Bulut Birsen Elibol Aysu Kilic Rumeysa Hekimoglu Serkan Tunc Rabia Atmaca Irem Kaygusuz Sevil Tunc Gulcin Beyza Tunc Ismail Meral
PLoS One 2021 9;16(9):e0257177. Epub 2021 Sep 9.
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Electrical stimulation is proposed to exert an antimicrobial effect according to studies performed using bacterial and cell cultures. Therefore, we investigated the effects of electrification on inflammation in septic rats. Twenty-eight male Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 groups: healthy control (C), electrified healthy (E), sepsis (S), and electrified sepsis (SE) groups. Staphylococcus aureus (1 x 109 colonies) in 1 ml of medium was intraperitoneally injected into rats to produce a sepsis model. The rats in the E and SE groups were exposed to a low direct electrical signal (300 Hz and 2.5 volts) for 40 min and 1 and 6 h after bacterial infection. Immediately after the second electrical signal application, blood and tissue samples of the heart, lung, and liver were collected. An antibacterial effect of a low direct electrical signal was observed in the blood of rats. The effects of electrical signals on ameliorating changes in the histological structure of tissues, blood pH, gases, viscosity and cell count, activities of some important enzymes, oxidative stress parameters, inflammation and tissue apoptosis were observed in the SE group compared to the S group. Low direct electrical signal application exerts antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects on septic rats due to the induction of electrolysis in body fluids without producing any tissue damage.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257177 PLOS
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8428794 PMC
Angiotensin IV improves spatial memory in streptozotocin‑induced diabetic rats by reducing oxidative stress and altering BDNF levels.
Aysu Kilic Savas Ustunova Birsen Elibol Huri Bulut Ismail Meral Gulderen Sahin
Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2021 ;81(2):161-170
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul, Turkey;
In this study, we investigated the protective effects of angiotensin IV (Ang IV) on cognitive function in streptozotocin (STZ)‑induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar albino rats, were randomly divided into four groups; control (C), diabetes (Dia, 60 mg/kg, STZ, i.p.), Ang IV (5 μg/kg, s.c.) and Dia+Ang IV. The passive avoidance and Morris water maze (MWM) tests were used to evaluate learning and memory performance. Behavioral tests were carried out between 21 and 30 days after the initial Ang IV injection. Hippocampi were dissected and retained for biochemical and Western blot analysis. The Dia group exhibited the poorest behavioral results, while the Dia+Ang IV group performed highest on the MWM task. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and malondialdehyde levels increased significantly in the Dia group compared to Dia+Ang IV. Brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and N‑methyl‑D‑aspartate levels were significantly elevated, while levels of GABAA significantly decreased, in the Dia+Ang IV group compared to the Dia group. These findings suggest that peripheral administration of Ang IV ameliorated spatial memory in diabetic rats by decreasing hippocampal oxidative stress and BDNF levels.
Thymoquinone administration ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-like phenotype by promoting cell survival in the hippocampus of amyloid beta infused rat model.
Birsen Elibol Merve Beker Sule Terzioglu-Usak Tugce Dalli Ulkan Kilic
Phytomedicine 2020 Dec 1;79:153324. Epub 2020 Sep 1.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences Turkey, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey.
Background: Thymoquinone (TQ), a biologically active ingredient of Nigella sativa, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties. Therefore, it could be a good candidate in the recovery of Alzheimer`s disease (AD) pathology rather than current symptomatic reliefs.
Purpose: In the present study, we examined the molecular healing effects of TQ in amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ) peptide-infused AD rat hippocampus.
Study Design: A micro-osmotic pump containing aggregated Aβ was cannulated into the hippocampus of adult female rats. After two weeks infusion, the dose of TQ (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) was determined according to the HPLC results of cerebrospinal fluid and TQ was given to rats intragastrically for 15 days.
Methods: The memory performance of rats was determined by Morris water maze test. Afterwards, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level were measured by ELISA. Histopathological examinations of hippocampal tissue were performed for cell survival by Nissl staining, for detection of amyloid plaque deposits by Congo red staining and for determination of degenerating neurons by Fluoro Jade C staining. MicroRNA/mRNA levels and protein expressions of AD-related genes and proteins were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western Blotting, respectively.
Results: Administration of TQ enhanced the memory performance of Aβ infused rats and it also ameliorated the neuronal loss in the cornu ammonis (CA1), but not in the dentate gyrus (DG). In addition, TQ treatment decreased the fibril deposition whose accumulation was significantly higher in the Aβ-infused animals compared to that of the control group. The expression profiles of mir29c and Bax which significantly upregulated in the Aβ-infused animals were attenuated by TQ. Furthermore, administration of TQ decreased the expressions of Aβ, phosphorylated-tau, and BACE-1 proteins. There was no significant therapeutic effect of TQ on the AKT/GSK3β or MAPK signaling pathways which were affected due to Aβ infusion.
Conclusion: TQ has the capacity to recover the neuropathology by removing Aβ plaques and by restoring neuron viability. All might have established the molecular basement of the consolidation in the memory observed by means of TQ treatment.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153324 DOI Listing
Fetal alcohol and maternal stress modify the expression of proteins controlling postnatal development of the male rat hippocampus.
Birsen Elibol Merve Beker Ewa Jakubowska-Dogru Ulkan Kilic
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 2020 11 11;46(6):718-730. Epub 2020 Sep 11.
Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences , Istanbul, Turkey.
: Developing brains can partially get over prenatal alcohol exposure-related detrimental conditions by activating some mechanisms involved in survival. : This study aimed to shed light on the molecular correlates of compensatory mechanisms by examining temporal profiles in the expression of proteins controlling postnatal development in the rat hippocampus prenatally exposed to intubation stress/ethanol. : Male pups were randomly assigned to age subgroups (n = 21/age) which were sacrificed on postnatal day (PD)1, PD10, PD30, and PD60. Ethanol (6 g/kg/day) were intragastrically intubated to the dams throughout 7-21 gestation days. The expression of neurogenesis and angiogenesis markers, extracellular matrix proteins, and growth-promoting ligands were examined by western blot. : The most rapid increase in the index of neuronal maturation was noted between PD10-PD30 ( < .05). Prenatal stress caused a decrease of neurogenesis markers at birth and an increase of their expressions at PD10 and PD30 to reach control levels ( < .001). The impact of fetal-alcohol was observed as a decrease in the expression of synaptic plasticity protein versican at birth ( < .001), an increase in the synaptic repulsion protein ephrin-B2 at PD10 ( < .001), and a decrease in the maturation of BDNF at PD30 ( < .001) with a decrease in the mature neuron markers at PD30 ( < .001) and PD60 ( = .005) which were compensated with upregulation of angiogenesis and increasing brevican expression, a neuronal maturation protein ( < .001). : These data provide evidence for the potential therapeutic factors related to neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and neurite remodeling which may tolerate the alcohol/stress dependent teratogenicity in the developing hippocampus.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2020.1780601 DOI Listing
Unraveling the Role of Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channels in the Hippocampus of an Aβ-Infused Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
Enes Akyuz Chiara Villa Merve Beker Birsen Elibol
Biomedicines 2020 Mar 13;8(3). Epub 2020 Mar 13.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34093, Turkey.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a complex etiology and characterized by cognitive deficits and memory loss. The pathogenesis of AD is not yet completely elucidated, and no curative treatment is currently available. Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels are important for playing a key role in maintaining the resting membrane potential and controlling cell excitability, being largely expressed in both excitable and non-excitable tissues, including neurons. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to investigate the role of neuronal Kir channels in AD pathophysiology. The mRNA and protein levels of neuronal Kir2.1, Kir3.1, and Kir6.2 were evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis from the hippocampus of an amyloid-β(Aβ)-infused rat model of AD. Extracellular deposition of Aβ was confirmed by both histological Congo red staining and immunofluorescence analysis. Significant decreased mRNA and protein levels of Kir2.1 and Kir6.2 channels were observed in the rat model of AD, whereas no differences were found in Kir3.1 channel levels as compared with controls. Our results provide in vivo evidence that Aβ can modulate the expression of these channels, which may represent novel potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of AD.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines8030058 DOI Listing
Chemopreventive efficacy of stampidine in a murine breast cancer model.
Kazim Sahin Cemal Orhan Ibrahim Hanifi Ozercan Mehmet Tuzcu Birsen Elibol Taha Koray Sahin Ulkan Kilic Sanjive Qazi Fatih Mehmet Uckun
Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020 02 5;24(2):155-162. Epub 2020 Feb 5.
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (USC KSOM), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
: The purpose of the present study was to examine the chemopreventive effect of stampidine, an aryl phosphate derivative of stavudine, in side by side comparison with the standard anti-breast cancer drug paclitaxel in the well-established 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced murine breast cancer model.: Groups of 20 female mice were challenged with the DMBA. DMBA-challenged mice were assigned to various chemoprevention treatments, including stampidine, paclitaxel, and stampidine plus paclitaxel according to the same treatment schedules for 25 weeks.: Stampidine resulted in substantially reduced numbers of tumors, tumor weight as well as tumor size in DMBA-treated mice. Stampidine was as effective as paclitaxel in the model and their combination exhibited greater chemopreventive activity, as measured by reduced tumor incidence and improved tumor-free survival as well as overall survival of DMBA-treated mice. The length of time for the initial tumor to appear in DMBA-challenged mice treated with stampidine was longer than that of mice treated DMBA-challenged control mice. Tumors from mice treated with stampidine or stampidine plus paclitaxel displayed unique changes of a signature protein cassette comprised BRCA1, p21, Bax, and Bcl-2.: Stampidine has potent chemopreventive activity and is as effective as the standard chemotherapy drug paclitaxel in the chemical carcinogenesis.
Anvirzelregulates cell death through inhibiting GSK-3 activity in human U87 glioma cells.
Sule Terzioglu-Usak Arife Nalli Birsen Elibol Erdinc Ozek Mustafa Aziz Hatiboglu
Neurol Res 2020 Jan 3;42(1):68-75. Epub 2020 Jan 3.
Department of Neurosurgery, Bezmialem Vakif University Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
: Cardiac glycosides are used as potential anti-cancer agents due to their effects on the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis and/or autophagy in cancer cells. Herein, we aimed to study the potential signaling pathways taken role in differential cell-death properties of Anvirzel which is consisted of two toxic cardiac glycosides (oleandrin and oleandrigenin), in U87 human glioblastoma cells.: The anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects of Anvirzel were assessed in U87 cells by WST-1 assay and wound healing assay, respectively. After treatment of Anvirzelwith doses of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 μg/ml, expression levels of proteins related to cell death were investigated by Western blot.: Anvirzel™ markedly inhibited the growth of U87 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner following 24 h and 48 h treatments (p < 0.05). In addition, it was found that Anvirzel™ inhibited GSK-3, NOS and HIF1-α expressions whereas activated ERK in U87 cells compared to vehicle (p < 0.05).: The results suggested that Anvirzel regulated cell death distinctly from apoptosis in human glioblastoma cells. Further studies are required for validation of mechanistic insights about the potential signaling pathways taken role in differential cell death properties of Anvirzel.
Prenatal exposure of diclofenac sodium alters the behavioral development of young Wistar rats.
Birsen Elibol Begüm Aritan Oğur Havva Doğru
Turk J Biol 2019 14;43(5):305-313. Epub 2019 Oct 14.
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey.
Diclofenac sodium (DS), a potent inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, reduces the release of arachidonic acid and formation of prostaglandins. Being a nonsteroid drug that shows antiinflammatory action, the possible side effects of fetal DS administration gain importance in public and medical applications. Herein, the effects of DS administration (1 mg/kg) during gestational days 5-20 were investigated on the performance of Wistar rat pups in a variety of behavioral tasks. Four-week-old pups were subjected to sensory motor tests, a plus maze, an open field, the Morris water maze, and a radial arm maze. Fetal DS disrupted some sensory motor performances, such as visual placing and climbing in both females and males. In the open field, DS females had a higher level of anxiety and male DS pups habituated to the environment slowly compared to controls. The DS pups showed slower rates of learning, whereas no substantial between-group differences were found in the performance of spatial memory compared to both controls. Furthermore, working memory was negatively affected by fetal DS. In conclusion, it was indicated that DS administration during pregnancy had slight behavioral impacts with a delay in learning and a defect in the short-term memory in juvenile rats.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3906/biy-1904-33 DOI Listing
Prenatal ethanol intoxication and maternal intubation stress alter cell survival and apoptosis in the postnatal development of rat hippocampus.
Birsen Elibol Merve Beker Cigdem Dilek Sahbaz Ulkan Kilic Ewa Jakubowska-Doğru
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Arts, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
It is well known that the fetal ethanol exposure and prenatal stress may have adverse effects on brain development. Interestingly, some morphological and functional recovery from their teratogenic effects that take place during brain maturation. However, mechanisms that underlie this recovery are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to examine whether the postnatal attenuation of fetal alcohol - and maternal stress‑induced morphological and functional deficits correlates with compensatory changes in the expression/activation of the brain proteins involved in inflammation, cell survival and apoptosis. In this project, we investigated the hippocampus which belongs to the brain regions most susceptible to the adverse effects of prenatal ethanol exposure. Pregnant rat dams were administered ethanol (A) or isocaloric glucose solution (IC) by a gastric intubation during gestational days 7-20. The pure control group received ad libitum laboratory chow and water with no other treatment. The hippocampi of fetal-ethanol and control pups were examined at the postnatal day (PD)1, PD10, PD30 and PD60. Moderate fetal-ethanol exposure and prenatal intubation stress caused a significant increase in molecular factors relating to inflammation (iNOS) and cell survival/apoptosis pathways (PTEN, GSK-3 and ERK) at birth, with a rapid compensation from these developmental deficits upon removal of alcohol at PD10. Indeed, an increase in ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 activation at PD30 was observed with ethanol consumption. It indicates that the recovery process in A and IC brains started soon after the birth upon the ethanol and stressor withdrawal and continued until the adulthood.
Squalene attenuates the oxidative stress and activates AKT/mTOR pathway against cisplatin-induced kidney damage in mice.
Arzu Sakul Mehmet Ozansoy Birsen Elibol Şule Ayla Mehmet Yalçın Günal Yasemin Yozgat Hüveyda Başağa Kazım Şahin Rümeyza Kazancioğlu Ülkan Kiliç
Turk J Biol 2019 13;43(3):179-188. Epub 2019 Jun 13.
Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakıf University, İstanbul, Turkey.
The clinical use of cisplatin, which is a first-line anticancer agent, is highly restricted due to its adverse effects on kidneys that lead to nephrotoxicity. Therefore, some potential reno-protective substances have been used in combination with cisplatin to cope with nephrotoxicity. Due to its high antitumor activity and oxygen-carrying capacity, we investigated the molecular effects of squalene against cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and kidney damage in mice. Single dose of cisplatin (7 mg/kg) was given to male Balb/c mice. Squalene (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orogastrically to mice for 10 days. Following sacrification, molecular alterations were investigated as analysis of the levels of oxidative stress index (OSI), inflammatory cytokines and cell survival-related proteins in addition to histopathological examinations in mice kidney tissue. The level OSI and Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) decreased in the cisplatin and squalene cotreated mice compared to cisplatin-treated mice. Squalene treatment also increased the activation of protein kinase B (AKT). Furthermore, cisplatin-induced inactivation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and histopathological damages were reversed by squalene. It may be suggested that squalene ameliorated the cisplatin-induced histopathological damages in the kidney through activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by regulating the balance of the redox system due to its antioxidative effect.
Effect of Restraint Stress on Plasma PTH Concentration and Its Molecular Targets Expressions in Wistar Rats.
Sule Terzioglu-Usak Birsen Elibol Tugce Dalli Cansu Guler Erhan Aysan
Int J Endocrinol Metab 2018 Oct 17;16(4):e66979. Epub 2018 Sep 17.
Department of General Surgery, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul,Turkey.
Background: There are limited numbers of experimental studies related to the potential role of parathormone/parathyroid hormone (PTH) in response to psychological stress. In the current study, we aimed to cross-examine, for the first time, changes in PTH plasma concentration and the expression of its molecular targets mediated by restraint stress in rats.
Methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 42) were separated into control and stressed groups. They were further divided into two groups that received chronic restraint stress (CRS) for 7 and 28 consecutive days (n = 7 for each group). Elevated plus maze and tail suspension test were used to determine the anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors of a different set of rats including stress and control groups (n = 7 for each group). The plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone, and intact parathormone (iPTH) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, alterations in the expressions of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), calcium sensing receptor (CaSR), and parathormone receptor (PTHR1) of kidney and total thyroid gland tissues were estimated by Western Blotting.
Results: There was no significant difference in the plasma level of iPTH while significant increases in the levels of ACTH and corticosterone were noted in the stressed-animals at day 7 and 21 (P = 0.010 and P = 0.016, respectively) of restraint stress. However, we found a negative correlation between iPTH and corticosterone levels in acute restraint stress (r = 0.771, P = 0.002). In addition, the expression of PTHR1 significantly decreased in the kidney at day 7 (P = 0.001) and in the thyroid gland at day 28 (P = 0.05) in response to CRS.
Conclusions: To sum up, CRS has a significant effect on the expression of parathormone receptor rather than the iPTH concentration. The present results add a new dimension to stress research through the negative effect of chronic stress on the PTH signaling pathway.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5812/ijem.66979 DOI Listing
High Levels of SIRT1 Expression as a Protective Mechanism Against Disease-Related Conditions.
Birsen Elibol Ulkan Kilic
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018 15;9:614. Epub 2018 Oct 15.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.
SIRT1 protein, a member of Silent Information Regulator 2 (Sir2) protein family, have gained considerable attention as epigenetic regulators for a great area in the human physiology. Changes in sirtuin expression are critical in several diseases, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegeneration. Here, we provide an overview of the association of the increasing level of SIRT1 protein for regulating some disease related conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegeneration. This review also provides a detailed molecular understanding of the interaction of the some basic molecules with increasing SIRT1 levels rather than reduction of the SIRT1 expression. In this context, the current approaches to enhancing the expression of SIRT1 points the importance of epigenetics in several age-related diseases to provide a healthy aging by developing novel therapies which can prevent or damp the progression of some diseases.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2018.00614 DOI Listing
Specific alterations in the circulating levels of the SIRT1, TLR4, and IL7 proteins in patients with dementia.
Ulkan Kilic Birsen Elibol Omer Uysal Ertugrul Kilic Burak Yulug Arzu Sayin Sakul Gulsen Babacan Yildiz
Exp Gerontol 2018 10 30;111:203-209. Epub 2018 Jul 30.
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:
Sirtuins have gained considerable attention as epigenetic regulators for slowing aging and age-related disorders. The growing association between neurodegeneration and inflammation has led researchers to investigate interactions of sirtuins with inflammatory markers in neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed SIRT1's association with chronic inflammation in dementia as an age-related neurodegenerative condition through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and interleukin-7 (IL7) for the first time. In the present study, we observed a significant increase in the level of SIRT1 in patients with all types of dementia. Interestingly, the level of TLR4 protein was significantly lower in only the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to the healthy elderly subjects. There was no significant change in the level of IL7 between the diseased and healthy elderly subjects. A significant positive correlation between SIRT1 level and age in healthy elderly subjects was evident according to Pearson's correlation test. However, this correlation was not observed in the dementia patients. Furthermore, the positive correlation between the levels of IL7 and TLR4 in the healthy elderly subjects was absent in the dementia patients. However, there was no direct association between the examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and dementia at the molecular level. According to logistic regression analysis, dementia risk increases 1.16 times due to an increase in the SIRT1 level and 24.23 times due to a decrease in the TLR4 level. Interestingly, a high level in the total antioxidant status (TAS) increases the risk of dementia approximately 33.32 times. Therefore, the current study, for the first time, provides a much better molecular understanding of the interaction between decreasing TLR4 levels and increasing SIRT1 levels in dementia, especially in AD. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of epigenetics in several age-related diseases and suggests that developing novel therapies to prevent or slow down the progression of dementia may support healthy aging.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2018.07.018 DOI Listing
Thymoquinone activates MAPK pathway in hippocampus of streptozotocin-treated rat model.
Tugce Dalli Merve Beker Sule Terzioglu-Usak Fahri Akbas Birsen Elibol
Biomed Pharmacother 2018 Mar;99:391-401
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:
Streptozotocin (STZ), a glucosamine-nitrosourea compound, produces deficiencies in learning, memory, and cognitive functions when it was administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v). In molecular level, increase in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in brain, and decrease in the number of surviving neurons are the outcomes of STZ administration. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effect of thymoquinone (TQ), an anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective agent, on STZ-induced neurodegeneration in rats. For this purpose, bilateral i.c.v. injection of STZ (3 mg/kg) was given to adult female rats on days 1 and 3. TQ (20 mg/kg/day in cornoil) was administered intragastrically to rats for 15 days starting from the 15th day of STZ injection. The Morris water maze test and passive avoidance test were applied to measure the learning and memory performance of animals. Following the behavioral tests, all of the rats were sacrificed for evaluation of molecular alterations. Rats in the STZ-TQ group showed higher performance in passive avoidance test than rats in the STZ group whose memory performance declined compared to control group. The worse memory performance in STZ group was correlated with low number of surviving neurons and high number of degenerating neurons. In addition, an increase in APOE expression and a decrease in NGF expression were observed with STZ injection. Administration of TQ reversed these STZ-triggered cognitive and molecular alterations. In the present study, we observed the neuroregenerative effects of TQ by activation of JNK protein, upregulation of mir-124, and downregulation of ERK1/2 and NOS enzymes. The same ameliorative effect of TQ was also observed in the pTau protein expression. To sum up, we can say that the healing effect of TQ on STZ induced neurodegeneration opens a new door for the development of Alzheimer's disease treatment using natural products as an adjuvant when their action mechanism was explained in detail.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.01.047 DOI Listing
Thymoquinone Can Improve Neuronal Survival and Promote Neurogenesis in Rat Hippocampal Neurons.
Merve Beker Tuğçe Dallı Birsen Elibol
Mol Nutr Food Res 2018 03 12;62(5). Epub 2018 Feb 12.
Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Scope: Thymoquinone (TQ) has been used as a potential therapeutic for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Herein, we aim to investigate the effect of TQ on behavioral and molecular parameters in healthy rat hippocampus.
Methods: TQ (20 mg kg d ) is administered intragastrically for 15 days to adult rats. After behavioral tests, the hippocampal tissues are investigated at the histological and molecular levels.
Results: In both dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis 1, TQ significantly increases the number of hippocampal neurons. This increase is supported by a significant increase in the doublecortin expression on both gene and protein levels. In addition, TQ significantly decreases the amount of Caspase-3 expression and the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase, indicating a decrease in apoptosis. Further, ERK, GSK-3, JNK, CREB, and iNOS proteins are found to be positively regulated by TQ. However, the gene expression of synapsin, synaptophysin, NGF, AKT, Bax, NFkB, and p53 and the protein expression of BDNF and nNOS are not affected by TQ.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that TQ has an enhancing effect on cell survival and neurogenesis in healthy hippocampus, rather inducing apoptosis in damaged neurons. This may proceed via ERK/JNK and CREB signaling pathways as a candidate acting mechanism for TQ.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201700768 DOI Listing
Effects of prenatal binge-like ethanol exposure and maternal stress on postnatal morphological development of hippocampal neurons in rats.
Ewa Jakubowska-Dogru Birsen Elibol Ilknur Dursun Sinan Yürüker
Int J Dev Neurosci 2017 Oct 19;61:40-50. Epub 2017 Jun 19.
Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara, Turkey.
Background: Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs of abuse negatively affecting human health and it is known as a potent teratogen responsible for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is characterized by cognitive deficits especially pronounced in juveniles but ameliorating in adults. Searching for the potential morphological correlates of these effects, in this study, we compared the course of developmental changes in the morphology of principal hippocampal neurons in fetal-alcohol (A group), intubated control (IC group), and intact control male rats (C group) over a protracted period of the first two postnatal months.
Methods: Ethanol was administered to the pregnant Wistar dams intragastrically, throughout gestation days (GD) 7-20, at a total dose of 6g/kg/day resulting in the mean blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 246.6±40.9mg/dl. Ten morphometric parameters of Golgi-stained hippocampal neurons (pyramidal and granule) from CA1, CA3, and DG areas were examined at critical postnatal days (PD): at birth (PD1), at the end of the brain growth spurt period (PD10), in juveniles (PD30), and in young adults (PD60).
Results: During postnatal development, the temporal pattern of morphometric changes was shown to be region-dependent with most significant alterations observed between PD1-30 in the CA region and between PD10-30 in the DG region. It was also parameter-dependent with the soma size (except for CA3 pyramids), number of primary dendrites, dendrite diameter, dendritic tortuosity and the branch angle demonstrating little changes, while the total dendritic field area, dendritic length, number of dendritic bifurcations, and spine density being highly increased in all hippocampal regions during the first postnatal month. Moderate ethanol intoxication and the maternal intubation stress during gestation, showed similar, transient effects on the neuron development manifested as a smaller soma size in granule cells, reduced dendritic parameters and lower spine density in pyramidal neurons at PD1. Full recovery from these effects took place within the first 10 postnatal days.
Conclusions: This study showed regional and temporal differences in the development of different morphometric features of principal hippocampal neurons in intact subjects over a protracted 2-months postnatal period. It also demonstrated an overlap in the effects of a moderate fetal ethanol intoxication and a mild maternal stress produced by the intragastric intubation, a commonly used method of ethanol administration to the pregnant dams. Fast recovery from the adverse effects on the soma size, dendritic arborization and spines density observed at birth indicates towards the fetal ethanol/stress induced developmental retardation.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.06.002 DOI Listing
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the streptozotocin-induced neurodegeneration in rats.
Ahmet Turan Isik Turgay Celik Ali Ugur Ural Murat Tosun Gokhan Ulusoy Birsen Elibol
Neurol Res 2016 Apr 1;38(4):364-72. Epub 2016 Mar 1.
f Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Biological Science , Bezmialem Vakif University , Istanbul , Turkey.
Background And Aim: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are one of the sources of adult stem cells being explored for potential use in repairing neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the useful effects of BM-MSCs therapy on the streptozotocin-induced neurodegeneration in rats.
Materials And Methods: Adult female Wistar rats were bilaterally injected intra-cerebroventricularly with streptozotocin (3 mg/kg) for neurodegeneration. Water maze tests were used to monitor spatial learning and memory. One or two intravenous injections of BM-MSCs were administrated to rat via the tail veins. At the end of the study, all rats were sacrificed for histological evaluation and immunohistochemistry.
Results: Streptozotocin group demonstrated a significant increase in escape latency in comparison with both control groups (Sham and Saline), whereas rats treated with BM-MSCs exhibited a decrease in escape latency in comparison with streptozotocin group. The percentage of time spent in the target quadrant and the mean number of platform crossings did not change in all the groups. BM-MSCs administration improved spatial learning but not memory. However, improvement in neuronal cells in hippocampal CA1 region was only observed in the rats treated with BM-MSCs twice as opposed to the rats treated with BM-MSCs once or with saline.
Conclusions: In this study, mesenchymal stem cells therapy failed to improve the streptozotocin-induced neurodegeneration like Alzheimer's disease in rats.
Curcumin ameliorates impaired insulin/IGF signalling and memory deficit in a streptozotocin-treated rat model.
Ahmet Turan Isik Turgay Celik Gokhan Ulusoy Onder Ongoru Birsen Elibol Huseyin Doruk Ergun Bozoglu Hakan Kayir Mehmet Refik Mas Serif Akman
Age (Dordr) 2009 Mar 8;31(1):39-49. Epub 2008 Oct 8.
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Gulhane School of Medicine, GATA Geriatri BD, 06018, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.
Increased serum insulin levels and reduced peripheral insulin activities seen in insulin resistance syndrome are associated with age-dependent cognitive impairment and Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (SAD), suggesting a disturbance in the insulin signalling system in the brain and possibly being one of the causes of dementia. Therefore, the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced animal may be an appropriate model for the investigation of SAD and related dementia. This study was designed to investigate the beneficial effect of Curcumin (CUR), a neuroprotective agent, on intracerebroventricular (ICV) STZ-induced cognitive impairment in rats. For this purpose, adult male Wistar rats were bilaterally ICV injected with STZ (3 mg/kg). An artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was given to the control group (SHAM) instead of STZ on days 1 and 3. Learning and memory performance were assessed using the "passive avoidance task" and the "Morris water maze test". After confirmation of acquisition impairment with these tests, the STZ group was divided into two subgroups: STZ + vehicle (Vh) and STZ + CUR. The rats in the SHAM and STZ + Vh groups were administered intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml Vh and the rats in the STZ + CUR group were treated intraperitoneally with CUR (300 mg kg(-1) day(-1) in Vh) for 10 days starting from the 25th day after STZ injection. The Morris water maze test was reapplied on the 35th day after STZ injection and all of the rats were sacrificed on day 36 for quantitation of IGF-1 and for histopathological evaluation. Rats in the STZ + CUR group were found to have a higher performance in cognitive tests than rats in the STZ + Vh group (P < 0.01). In parallel with the cognitive tests, IGF-1 levels were decreased in all of the STZ-injected groups (1.78 +/- 0.34) compared to the SHAM group (3.46 +/- 0.41). In contrast, CUR treatment significantly increased IGF-1 levels (P < 0.001). The degree of neuronal loss decreased after CUR treatment compared to the SHAM group (P < 0.02). These results clearly indicate that CUR treatment is effective in reducing the cognitive impairment caused by STZ in rats, and may be a potential therapeutic agent for altering neurodegeneration in SAD.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11357-008-9078-8 DOI Listing
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text:
Xenotrichula floridanus is een buikharige uit de familie Xenotrichulidae. Het dier komt uit het geslacht Xenotrichula. Xenotrichula floridanus werd in 1970 voor het eerst wetenschappelijk beschreven door Thane-Fenchel.

Xenotrichulidae


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text:
Frederick Primrose Whitman (-) fut un vendeur et homme politique fédéral du Québec.

Biographie
Né à Lawrencetown en Nouvelle-Écosse, Frederick Primrose Whitman effectua ses études élémentaires à Lawrencetown avant d'aller à l'Université de l'Alberta, où il reçut un baccalauréat en science. Durant la Première Guerre mondiale, il servit dans le Corps expéditionnaire canadien à titre de lieutenant.

Élu député du Parti libéral du Canada dans la circonscription de Mont-Royal en 1940, il fut réélu en 1945 et dans Notre-Dame-de-Grâce en 1949. Il fut défait en 1953 par le progressiste-conservateur William McLean Hamilton.

Voir aussi

Liens externes

Député fédéral canadien provenant du Québec
Député du Parti libéral du Canada
Militaire canadien de la Première Guerre mondiale
Étudiant de l'Université de l'Alberta
Naissance en Nouvelle-Écosse
Naissance en mars 1896
Décès en décembre 1974
Décès à 78 ans