Conductive cotton prepared by polyaniline in situ polymerization using laccase

The high-redox-potential catalyst laccase, isolated from Aspergillus, was first used as a biocatalyst in the oxidative polymerization of water-soluble conductive polyaniline, and then conductive cotton was prepared by in situ polymerization under the same conditions. The polymerization of aniline was performed in a water dispersion of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) micellar solution with atmospheric oxygen serving as the oxidizing agent. This method is ecologically clean and permits a greater degree of control over the kinetics of the reaction. The conditions for polyaniline synthesis were optimized. Characterizations of the conducting polyaniline and cotton were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, the fabric induction electrostatic tester, and the far-field EMC shielding effectiveness test fixture.This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21274055, 51173071), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-12-0883), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2011157), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (JUSRP51312B), and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT1135)

Conservation of geosites as a tool to protect geoheritage: the inventory of Ceará Central Domain, Borborema Province - NE/Brazil

The Ceará Central Domain, in the northern Borborema Province/NE Brazil, encompasses important geological records (geosites) which allow understanding a relevant period of the Earth’s evolution, mainly associated to Neoproterozoic Brazilian/Pan-African Cycle and West Gondwana amalgamation, besides Neoarchean to Ordovician records. The presented geoheritage inventory aims to characterise the geosites with scienti c relevance of Ceará Central Domain. By applying a method for large areas, the nal selection resulted in eight geological frameworks represented by 52 geosites documented in a single database. This is the rst step for a geoconservation strategy based on systematic inventories, statutory protection, geoethical behaviour and awareness about scienti c, educational and/or cultural relevance of geosites.We specially thank all experts that helped us with this inventory: Afonso Almeida, Carlos E.G. de Araújo, César Veríssimo, Christiano Magini, Clóvis Vaz Parente, Felipe G. Costa, Irani C. Mattos, Neivaldo de Castro, Otaciel de Melo, Sebástian G. Chiozza, Ticiano Santos and Stefano Zincone. We are also thankful to Kátia Mansur, Ricardo Fraga Pereira and anonymous reviewers for their valuable contributions. PM is grateful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for PhD mobility scholarship PDSE Program/Process n 88881.132168/2016-01info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Abdominal pain in an adult with Type 2 diabetes: A case report

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

DNA microarray data integration by ortholog gene analysis reveals potential molecular mechanisms of estrogen-dependent growth of human uterine fibroids

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids or leiomyoma are a common benign smooth muscle tumor. The tumor growth is well known to be estrogen-dependent. However, the molecular mechanisms of its estrogen-dependency is not well understood. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes in human uterine fibroids were either retrieved from published papers or from our own statistical analysis of downloaded array data. Probes for the same genes on different Affymetrix chips were mapped based on probe comparison information provided by Affymetrix. Genes identified by two or three array studies were submitted for ortholog analysis. Human and rat ortholog genes were identified by using ortholog gene databases, HomoloGene and TOGA and were confirmed by synteny analysis with MultiContigView tool in the Ensembl genome browser. RESULTS: By integrated analysis of three recently published DNA microarray studies with human tissue, thirty-eight genes were found to be differentially expressed in the same direction in fibroid compared to adjacent uterine myometrium by at least two research groups. Among these genes, twelve with rat orthologs were identified as estrogen-regulated from our array study investigating uterine expression in ovariectomized rats treated with estrogen. Functional and pathway analyses of the twelve genes suggested multiple molecular mechanisms for estrogen-dependent cell survival and tumor growth. Firstly, estrogen increased expression of the anti-apoptotic PCP4 gene and suppressed the expression of growth inhibitory receptors PTGER3 and TGFBR2. Secondly, estrogen may antagonize PPARγ signaling, thought to inhibit fibroid growth and survival, at two points in the PPAR pathway: 1) through increased ANXA1 gene expression which can inhibit phospholipase A2 activity and in turn decrease arachidonic acid synthesis, and 2) by decreasing L-PGDS expression which would reduce synthesis of PGJ2, an endogenous ligand for PPARγ. Lastly, estrogen affects retinoic acid (RA) synthesis and mobilization by regulating expression of CRABP2 and ALDH1A1. RA has been shown to play a significant role in the development of uterine fibroids in an animal model. CONCLUSION: Integrated analysis of multiple array datasets revealed twelve human and rat ortholog genes that were differentially expressed in human uterine fibroids and transcriptionally responsive to estrogen in the rat uterus. Functional and pathway analysis of these genes suggest multiple potential molecular mechanisms for the poorly understood estrogen-dependent growth of uterine fibroids. Fully understanding the exact molecular interactions among these gene products requires further study to validate their roles in uterine fibroids. This work provides new avenues of study which could influence the future direction of therapeutic intervention for the disease

Early structural and functional defects in synapses and myelinated axons in stratum lacunosum moleculare in two preclinical models for tauopaty

The stratum lacunosum moleculare (SLM) is the connection hub between entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, two brain regions that are most vulnerable in Alzheimer’s disease. We recently identified a specific synaptic deficit of Nectin-3 in transgenic models for tauopathy. Here we defined cognitive impairment and electrophysiological problems in the SLM of Tau.P301L mice, which corroborated the structural defects in synapses and dendritic spines. Reduced diffusion of DiI from the ERC to the hippocampus indicated defective myelinated axonal pathways. Ultrastructurally, myelinated axons in the temporoammonic pathway (TA) that connects ERC to CA1 were damaged in Tau.P301L mice at young age. Unexpectedly, the myelin defects were even more severe in bigenic biGT mice that co-express GSK3β with Tau.P301L in neurons. Combined, our data demonstrate that neuronal expression of protein Tau profoundly affected the functional and structural organization of the entorhinal-hippocampal complex, in particular synapses and myelinated axons in the SLM. White matter pathology deserves further attention in patients suffering from tauopathy and Alzheimer’s disease

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

A NEW CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS METHOD FOR THE SCREENING OF CONGENITAL DISORDERS OF GLYCOSYLATION (CDG)

Background: The Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are an expanding group of metabolic diseases with a broad clinical presentation. We sought to validate a new Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) method (Sebia CAPILLARYS™ CDT) to screen for CDG. Methods: We analyzed 119 serum samples from children of varying ages and of both sexes to establish a reference range of transferrin glycoforms including CDT (Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin). We then studied serums from 8 known CDG patients and compared the CZE results to the isoelectric focusing (IEF) profiles. We also analyzed serums after extraction from spotted Guthrie cards. Results: The mean (SD) percentage of transferrin glycoforms is 18.5 (4.4), 78.5 (4.2), 2.5 (1.3) and 0.6 (0.3) for penta-, tetra-, trisialotransferrin and CDT, respectively. There is no statistically significant difference between the different age groups analyzed (0-5, 6-11, 12-15, 16-18, and > 18 years) or between sexes. We observed a good correlation between the CZE and IEF profiles with both fresh serum and serum extracted from Guthrie cards. Conclusions: The Sebia CAPILLARYS™ CDT system is a simple and reliable method to screen for CDG in pediatric and adult patients with an unexplained clinical syndrome, particularly when the nervous system is involved