Mechanical and electrical elements in reduction of vibrations

The main aim of this work is the introduction of analysis and synthesis of systems including mechanical and electrical elements reducing vibrations. In results of synthesis were received structures and parameters of a discrete model meeting the defined requirements concerning the dynamic features of the system, in particular, the frequency spectrum. The approach adopted makes it possible to take actions aiming at the reduction of phenomena resulting in the unwanted operation of machinery or generation of hazardous situations in the machinery environment. Thanks to the approach, the above mentioned preventive activities can be conducted as early as during the designing of future functions of the system as well as during the construction of the system in question. In this work is also introduction of these two kinds of elements, mechanical and electrical, of reduction of vibrations

Electrochemical Sensors Based on Metal Nanoparticles with Biocatalytic Activity

Biosensors have attracted a great deal of attention, as they allow for the translation of the standard laboratory-based methods into small, portable devices. The field of biosensors has been growing, introducing innovations into their design to improve their sensing characteristics and reduce sample volume and user intervention. Enzymes are commonly used for determination purposes providing a high selectivity and sensitivity; however, their poor shelf-life is a limiting factor. Researchers have been studying the possibility of substituting enzymes with other materials with an enzyme-like activity and improved long-term stability and suitability for point-of-care biosensors. Extra attention is paid to metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, which are essential components of numerous enzyme-less catalytic sensors. The bottleneck of utilising metal-containing nanoparticles in sensing devices is achieving high selectivity and sensitivity. This review demonstrates similarities and differences between numerous metal nanoparticle-based sensors described in the literature to pinpoint the crucial factors determining their catalytic performance. Unlike other reviews, sensors are categorised by the type of metal to study their catalytic activity dependency on the environmental conditions. The results are based on studies on nanoparticle properties to narrow the gap between fundamental and applied research. The analysis shows that the catalytic activity of nanozymes is strongly dependent on their intrinsic properties (e.g. composition, size, shape) and external conditions (e.g. pH, type of electrolyte, and its chemical composition). Understanding the mechanisms behind the metal catalytic activity and how it can be improved helps designing a nanozyme-based sensor with the performance matching those of an enzyme-based device. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text

Cross-Omics Comparison of Stress Responses in Mesothelial Cells Exposed to Heat- versus Filter-Sterilized Peritoneal Dialysis Fluids

Recent research suggests that cytoprotective responses, such as expression of heat-shock proteins, might be inadequately induced in mesothelial cells by heat-sterilized peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluids. This study compares transcriptome data and multiple protein expression profiles for providing new insight into regulatory mechanisms. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) based proteomics and topic defined gene expression microarray-based transcriptomics techniques were used to evaluate stress responses in human omental peritoneal mesothelial cells in response to heat- or filter-sterilized PD fluids. Data from selected heat-shock proteins were validated by 2D western-blot analysis. Comparison of proteomics and transcriptomics data discriminated differentially regulated protein abundance into groups depending on correlating or noncorrelating transcripts. Inadequate abundance of several heat-shock proteins following exposure to heat-sterilized PD fluids is not reflected on the mRNA level indicating interference beyond transcriptional regulation. For the first time, this study describes evidence for posttranscriptional inadequacy of heat-shock protein expression by heat- sterilized PD fluids as a novel cytotoxic property. Cross-omics technologies introduce a novel way of understanding PDF bioincompatibility and searching for new interventions to reestablish adequate cytoprotective responses

MKS and NPHP modules cooperate to establish basal body/transition zone membrane associations and ciliary gate function during ciliogenesis

Eight proteins, defects in which are associated with Meckel-Gruber syndrome and nephronophthisis ciliopathies, work together as two functional modules at the transition zone to establish basal body/transition zone connections with the membrane and barricade entry of non-ciliary components into this organelle

Angiogenic Activity of Sera from Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Relation to IL-12p40 and TNFα Serum Levels

The role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB) is not clear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of sera from TB patients on angiogenesis induced by different subsets of normal human mononuclear cells (MNC) in relation to IL-12p40 and TNFα serum levels. Serum samples from 36 pulmonary TB patients and from 22 healthy volunteers were evaluated. To assess angiogenic reaction the leukocytes-induced angiogenesis test according to Sidky and Auerbach was performed. IL-12p40 and TNFα serum levels were evaluated by ELISA. Sera from TB patients significantly stimulated angiogenic activity of MNC compared to sera from healthy donors and PBS (p < 0.001). The number of microvessels formed after injection of lymphocytes preincubated with sera from TB patients was significantly lower compared to the number of microvessels created after injection of MNC preincubated with the same sera (p < 0.016). However, the number of microvessels created after the injection of lymphocytes preincubated with sera from healthy donors or with PBS alone was significantly higher (p < 0.017). The mean levels of IL-12p40 and TNFα were significantly elevated in sera from TB patients compared to healthy donors. We observed a correlation between angiogenic activity of sera from TB patients and IL-12p40 and TNFα serum levels (p < 0.01). Sera from TB patients constitute a source of mediators that participate in angiogenesis and prime monocytes for production of proangiogenic factors. The main proangiogenic effect of TB patients’ sera is mediated by macrophages/monocytes. TNFα and IL-12p40 may indirectly stimulate angiogenesis in TB

Localization of a Guanylyl Cyclase to Chemosensory Cilia Requires the Novel Ciliary MYND Domain Protein DAF-25

In harsh conditions, Caenorhabditis elegans arrests development to enter a non-aging, resistant diapause state called the dauer larva. Olfactory sensation modulates the TGF-β and insulin signaling pathways to control this developmental decision. Four mutant alleles of daf-25 (abnormal DAuer Formation) were isolated from screens for mutants exhibiting constitutive dauer formation and found to be defective in olfaction. The daf-25 dauer phenotype is suppressed by daf-10/IFT122 mutations (which disrupt ciliogenesis), but not by daf-6/PTCHD3 mutations (which prevent environmental exposure of sensory cilia), implying that DAF-25 functions in the cilia themselves. daf-25 encodes the C. elegans ortholog of mammalian Ankmy2, a MYND domain protein of unknown function. Disruption of DAF-25, which localizes to sensory cilia, produces no apparent cilia structure anomalies, as determined by light and electron microscopy. Hinting at its potential function, the dauer phenotype, epistatic order, and expression profile of daf-25 are similar to daf-11, which encodes a cilium-localized guanylyl cyclase. Indeed, we demonstrate that DAF-25 is required for proper DAF-11 ciliary localization. Furthermore, the functional interaction is evolutionarily conserved, as mouse Ankmy2 interacts with guanylyl cyclase GC1 from ciliary photoreceptors. The interaction may be specific because daf-25 mutants have normally-localized OSM-9/TRPV4, TAX-4/CNGA1, CHE-2/IFT80, CHE-11/IFT140, CHE-13/IFT57, BBS-8, OSM-5/IFT88, and XBX-1/D2LIC in the cilia. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) (required to build cilia) is not defective in daf-25 mutants, although the ciliary localization of DAF-25 itself is influenced in che-11 mutants, which are defective in retrograde IFT. In summary, we have discovered a novel ciliary protein that plays an important role in cGMP signaling by localizing a guanylyl cyclase to the sensory organelle