Arrangement of Type IV Collagen and Laminin on Substrates with Controlled Density of ¿OH Groups

This is a copy of an article published in the Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics © 2011 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics is available online at: http://online.liebertpub.com.Collagen IV (Col IV) and laminin (Lam) are the main structural components of the basement membrane where they form two overlapping polymeric networks. We studied the adsorption pattern of these proteins on five model surfaces with tailored density of-OH groups obtained by copolymerization of different ratios ethyl acrylate (EA) and hydroxyl EA (HEA): X OH=0, X OH=0.3, X OH=0.5, X OH=0.7, and X OH=1 (where X refers the ratio of HEA). Atomic force microscopy revealed substratum-specific adsorption patterns of Col IV and Lam, ranging from single molecules deposition on more hydrophilic substrata to the formation of complex networks on hydrophobic ones. Human umbilical endothelial cells were used to study the biological performance of adsorbed proteins, following the overall cell morphology, the quantities for cell adhesion and spreading, and the development of focal adhesion complexes and actin cytoskeleton. Surprisingly, two optima in the cellular interaction were observed-one on the most hydrophilic X OH=1 and other on the relatively hydrophobic X OH=0.3 substrate-valid for both Col IV and Lam. When the proteins were adsorbed consecutively, a hydrophobic shift to X OH=0 substratum was obtained. Collectively, these data suggest that varying with the density of-OH groups one can tailor the conformation and the functional activity of adsorbed basement membrane proteins. © 2011, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.AFM was performed under the technical guidance of the Microscopy Service at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, whose advice is greatly appreciated. The work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through project nos. MAT2009-14440-C02-0 and MAT2009-14440-C02-02.Coelho, NM.; González García, C.; Salmerón Sánchez, M.; Altankov, G. (2011). Arrangement of Type IV Collagen and Laminin on Substrates with Controlled Density of ¿OH Groups. Tissue Engineering Part A. 17:2245-2257. doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2010.0713S224522571

Assessing the impact of closely-spaced intersections on traffic operations and pollutant emissions on a corridor level

Traffic lights or roundabouts along corridors are usually installed to address location-specific operational needs. An understanding of the impacts on traffic regarding to highly-congested closely-spaced intersections has not been fully addressed. Accordingly, consideration should be given to how these specific segments affect corridor performance as a whole. One mixed roundabout/traffic light/stop-controlled junctions corridor was evaluated with the microscopic traffic model (VISSIM) and emissions methodology (Vehicle Specific Power – VSP). The analysis was focused on two major intersections of the corridor, a roundabout and a traffic light spaced lower than 170 m apart under different traffic demand levels. The traffic data and corridor geometry were coded into VISSIM and compared with an alternative scenario where the traffic light was replaced by a single-lane roundabout. This research also tested a method to improve corridor performance and emissions by examining the integrated effect of the spacing between these intersections on traffic delay and vehicular emissions (carbon dioxide, monoxide carbon, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons). The Fast Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) was used to find the optimal spacing for these intersections. The analysis showed that the roundabout could achieve lower queue length (∼64%) and emissions (16–27%, depending on the pollutant) than the traffic light. The results also suggested that 200 m of spacing using the best traffic control would provide a moderate advantage in traffic operations and emissions as compared with the existing spacing

Fitting the integrated Spectral Energy Distributions of Galaxies

Fitting the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies is an almost universally used technique that has matured significantly in the last decade. Model predictions and fitting procedures have improved significantly over this time, attempting to keep up with the vastly increased volume and quality of available data. We review here the field of SED fitting, describing the modelling of ultraviolet to infrared galaxy SEDs, the creation of multiwavelength data sets, and the methods used to fit model SEDs to observed galaxy data sets. We touch upon the achievements and challenges in the major ingredients of SED fitting, with a special emphasis on describing the interplay between the quality of the available data, the quality of the available models, and the best fitting technique to use in order to obtain a realistic measurement as well as realistic uncertainties. We conclude that SED fitting can be used effectively to derive a range of physical properties of galaxies, such as redshift, stellar masses, star formation rates, dust masses, and metallicities, with care taken not to over-interpret the available data. Yet there still exist many issues such as estimating the age of the oldest stars in a galaxy, finer details ofdust properties and dust-star geometry, and the influences of poorly understood, luminous stellar types and phases. The challenge for the coming years will be to improve both the models and the observational data sets to resolve these uncertainties. The present review will be made available on an interactive, moderated web page (sedfitting.org), where the community can access and change the text. The intention is to expand the text and keep it up to date over the coming years.Comment: 54 pages, 26 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Vascular Flora Of The Legado Das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, Municipalities Of Tapiraí, Miracatú And Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)We present a list of vascular plants found in Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, a private reserve having an area of approximately 35,000 ha that spans the municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú, and Juquiá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The reserve is part of a complex of state-protected areas including Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park, Intervales State Park, Carlos Botelho State Park, Jurupará State Park, and Serra do Mar State Park. Together, these form an important and large area of continuous and well-preserved forest. Our study, which involved two main floristic surveys in March/April 2013 and April 2014, recorded 768 species, representing 131 families and 432 genera. The majority of species were angiosperms (619) representing 106 families and 370 genera. There were also two species of gymnosperms belonging to two genera in separate families; 147 species of ferns and lycophytes belonging to 23 families and 60 genera. In demonstrating the presence of almost 800 species of plants, of which 16 are threatened, our study highlights the importance of floristic surveys and the critical role of private protected areas in managing and preserving native flora. © 2016 Check List and Authors.1262011/22923-8, FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo2015/9444-4, FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP