A large number of studies revealed that adiponectin, a protein secreted specifically by adipose tissue, exhibits antiinflammatory, antiatherogenic, and antidiabetic properties. This 247‐amino acid protein contains four differentiable domains and exists in five different configurations, which binds three kinds of receptors. The plasma adiponectin concentration is at amazing microgram level and the gender difference is very clear. Obese subjects showed decreased plasma level of adiponectin while exercise seems to restore it. Many researchers demonstrated that it could be a reliable biomarker for multiple diseases. However, there is controversy about its role in inflammation since its plasma concentration decreases in some inflammatory diseases and increases under some other inflammatory conditions. The signal transduction pathway is still not very clear yet. Could adiponectin be a promising drug target?

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In an effort to turn waste into wealth, Reactive Red 2 (RR2), a common and refractory organic pollutant in industrial wastewater, has been employed for the first time as precursor...

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Precise tension and speed control of axially moving material systems enables high speed processing of paper, plastics, fibers, and films. A single span model is developed that includes distributed longitudinal vibration, a torque-controlled roller at the left boundary, and a speed-controlled roller at the right boundary. The speed trajectory of the right roller is assumed periodic but unknown. A proportional and derivative (PD) feedback and iterative learning control (ILC) feedforward control law is developed for the left roller torque based on the measured tension and speed at the left boundary. PD tension/speed control is proven to ensure boundedness of distributed displacement and tension. ILC is proven to provide the same theoretical result but greatly improved simulated response to an aggressive stop/start right roller speed trajectory.

Highlights d During evolution, the cavefish P. andruzzii has lost photoreactivation DNA repair d Only P. andruzzii and placental mammals are known to lack photoreactivation d The D-box enhancer coordinates DNA repair in response to ROS, UV, and visible light d Loss of D-box function in P. andruzzii underlies the lack of photoreactivation SUMMARY How the environment shapes the function and evolution of DNA repair systems is poorly understood. In a comparative study using zebrafish and the Somalian blind cavefish, Phreatichthys andruzzii, we reveal that during evolution for millions of years in continuous darkness, photoreactivation DNA repair function has been lost in P. andruzzii. We demonstrate that this loss results in part from loss-of-function mutations in pivotal DNA-repair genes. Specifically, C-terminal truncations in P. andruzzii DASH and 6-4 photolyase render these proteins predominantly cytoplasmic, with consequent loss in their functionality. In addition, we reveal a general absence of light-, UV-, and ROS-induced expression of P. andruzzii DNA-repair genes. This results from a loss of function of the D-box enhancer element, which coordinates and enhances DNA repair in response to sunlight. Our results point to P. andruzzii being the only species described, apart from placental mammals, that lacks the highly evolutionary conserved photoreactivation function. We predict that in the DNA repair systems of P. andruzzii, we may be witnessing the first stages in a process that previously occurred in the ancestors of placental mammals during the Mesozoic era.