Vasodilator Phosphostimulated Protein (VASP) Protects Endothelial Barrier Function During Hypoxia

The endothelial barrier controls the passage of solutes from the vascular space. This is achieved through active reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. A central cytoskeletal protein involved into this is vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP). However, the functional role of endothelial VASP during hypoxia has not been thoroughly elucidated. We determined endothelial VASP expression through real-time PCR (Rt-PCR), immunhistochemistry, and Western blot analysis during hypoxia. VASP promoter studies were performed using a PGL3 firefly luciferase containing plasmid. Following approval by the local authorities, VASP−/− mice and littermate controls were subjected to normobaric hypoxia (8% O2, 92% N2) after intravenous injection of Evans blue dye. In in vitro studies, we found significant VASP repression in human microvascular and human umbilical vein endothelial cells through Rt-PCR, immunhistochemistry, and Western blot analysis. The VASP promoter construct demonstrated significant repression in response to hypoxia, which was abolished when the binding of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha was excluded. Exposure of wild-type (WT) and VASP−/− animals to normobaric hypoxia for 4 h resulted in an increase in Evans blue tissue extravasation that was significantly increased in VASP−/− animals compared to WT controls. In summary, we demonstrate here that endothelial VASP holds significant importance for endothelial barrier properties during hypoxia

Claudins in lung diseases

Tight junctions are the most apically localized part of the epithelial junctional complex. They regulate the permeability and polarity of cell layers and create compartments in cell membranes. Claudins are structural molecules of tight junctions. There are 27 claudins known, and expression of different claudins is responsible for changes in the electrolyte and solute permeability in cells layers. Studies have shown that claudins and tight junctions also protect multicellular organisms from infections and that some infectious agents may use claudins as targets to invade and weaken the host's defense. In neoplastic diseases, claudin expression may be up- or downregulated. Since their expression is associated with specific tumor types or with specific locations of tumors to a certain degree, they can, in a restricted sense, also be used as tumor markers. However, the regulation of claudin expression is complex involving growth factors and integrins, protein kinases, proto-oncogens and transcription factors. In this review, the significance of claudins is discussed in lung disease and development

Approche nutritionnelle pratique d'un patient adulte avec intestin court. [Short bowel syndrome: nutritional guidelines for the adult patient]

The short bowel is defined by the extended resection of the small intestine, leaving a maximum of 100 cm of healthy organ beyond the ligament of Treitz, with or without preservation of the colon. Nutritional management must be quick in order to optimize adaptation of the remaining intestine, therefore avoiding intestinal insufficiency. Consequent nutrition support such as long term enteral or parental nutrition is some times indispensable. Home enteral nutrition is relatively comfortable. Home parental nutrition somewhat complex, necessitates the creation of a strong home support group. This article addresses practitioners unfamiliar with clinical nutrition, directly faced with problems due to the short bowel in hospital (short and mean term phases) and in home settings (mean and long term phases)

CEA’s Optical Pyrometry Technique for Non-Contact Temperature Measurement in High Temperature Surroundings

<p><span><span>This article presents field research with bibliographic support studying aspects related to corporate sustainability. It covers the implementation of a quality management system where sustainability and requirements are addressed in a system, in which quality is not only seen as maintaining compliance with standards and features of a product; it also encompasses numerous attributes connected with responsibility. It was concluded that there had been significant returns which allowed it to meet quality standards and consolidate the supply of products with greater accuracy, in addition to promoting the image of the company as being socially responsible. Gains in efficiency and commitment from suppliers were also demonstrated, thus allowing product prices to remain competitive. It shows how the company obtained the certification label issued by the regulatory body, demonstrating audited quality and standards of corporate sustainability; a feature which is an edge for companies in the global environment.</span></span></p

A Survey on Mobile Crowdsensing Systems: Challenges, Solutions, and Opportunities

Mobile crowdsensing (MCS) has gained significant attention in recent years and has become an appealing paradigm for urban sensing. For data collection, MCS systems rely on contribution from mobile devices of a large number of participants or a crowd. Smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices are deployed widely and already equipped with a rich set of sensors, making them an excellent source of information. Mobility and intelligence of humans guarantee higher coverage and better context awareness if compared to traditional sensor networks. At the same time, individuals may be reluctant to share data for privacy concerns. For this reason, MCS frameworks are specifically designed to include incentive mechanisms and address privacy concerns. Despite the growing interest in the research community, MCS solutions need a deeper investigation and categorization on many aspects that span from sensing and communication to system management and data storage. In this paper, we take the research on MCS a step further by presenting a survey on existing works in the domain and propose a detailed taxonomy to shed light on the current landscape and classify applications, methodologies, and architectures. Our objective is not only to analyze and consolidate past research but also to outline potential future research directions and synergies with other research areas