Surface analysis of localized corrosion of austenitic 316L and duplex 2205 stainless steels in simulated body solutions

We report on cyclic voltammetry and in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) studies of localized corrosion of duplex 2205 stainless steel (DSS 2205) and austenitic stainless steel of the type AISI 316L in two model solutions, including artificial saliva (AS) and a simulated physiological solution known as – Hank's solution (PS). The AFM topography analysis illustrated the higher corrosion resistance of DSS 2205 steel for the chosen range of electrochemical potentials that were applied to the steel surface in both solutions. In contrast, pitting corrosion was observed at the surface of AISI 316L steel, with the pits becoming more evident, larger and deeper, when the sample was electrochemically treated in the PS. On both surfaces the growth of corrosion products formed during the oxidation process was observed. As a result, depending on the sample's metallurgical structure, different types of oxides covered the surface close to the breakdown potential. We distinguished between the square-like type of oxides on the surface of the DSS 2205, and the AISI 316L with its ellipse-like oxide deposits. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the chemical composition of the deposition products, which consisted of two main elements, Fe and Cr. However, the oxides of the alloying elements Ni and Mo were negligible compared to the bulk

High-pressure spin shifts in the pseudogap regime of superconducting YBa2Cu4O8 as revealed by 17O NMR

A new NMR anvil cell design is used for measuring the influence of high pressure on the electronic properties of the high-temperature superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_4$O$_8$ above the superconducting transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$. It is found that pressure increases the spin shift at all temperatures in such a way that the pseudo-gap feature has almost disappeared at 63 kbar. This change of the temperature dependent spin susceptibility can be explained by a pressure induced proportional decrease (factor of two) of a temperature dependent component, and an increase (factor of 9) of a temperature independent component, contrary to the effects of increasing doping. The results demonstrate that one can use anvil cell NMR to investigate the tuning of the electronic properties of correlated electronic materials with pressure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Glycan Binding Proteins in Therapeutic Mesenchymal Stem Cell Research

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that hold enormous therapeutic potential. They are currently in a focus of intense clinical and scientific investigation. MSCs are a promising cell type for various applications in the field of tissue engineering due to their multi-lineage differentiation capacity. Furthermore, one of their most interesting characteristics is that they possess immunomodulatory properties making these cells an attractive candidate for therapy of several immune-mediated disorders. MSCs are of nonembryonic origin and thus provide a less controversial and technically more feasible alternative for ESCs in future therapeutic applications. Due to their location on the cell surface, glycans are ideal molecules for identification, purification, and characterization of cells for therapeutic purposes. Methods to reliably and proficiently determine both the change in the presence of a specific glycan structures and the changes in the glycome profile of a cell, are needed. Glycan binding proteins in general serve as diagnostic tools in medical and scientific laboratories. High affinity and exquisite specificity are important factors for their successful use. The aim of this study was to characterize the glycans on the surface of MSCs in order to find novel MSC specific glycan markers. Further goal was to develop antibodies specific for MSC surface glycans, including the novel MSC marker. As described in the original publications of this study, we first characterized the glycome of MSCs and discovered that certain specific glycan epitopes are present only in MSCs, and not in cells differentiated from them. These epitopes include i antigen, which was further characterized to be a marker for umbilical cord blood derived MSCs. An antibody against the i antigen was generated using recombinant technology. Antibodies recognizing MSC surface glycans were also generated by utilizing hybridoma technology, using whole MSCs in the immunization. Taken together, these studies provide information of the changes in the glycome profile during MSC differentiation and describe a novel MSC marker. In these studies, we used two different methods to generate anti-glycan antibodies and emphasize the importance of thorough characterization of the binding properties of GBPs. The information of the characteristic glycosylation features of MSCs, and specific markers especially, can be used to isolate and characterize desired, therapeutically advantageous cell populations for distinct applications. Development of better glycan binding proteins will advance the field of cellular therapy and also the glycobiological research in general.Mesenkymaaliset kantasolut (eli mesenkymaaliset stroomasolut) ovat monikykyisiä soluja, jotka pystyvät erilaistumaan useiksi erilaisiksi solutyypeiksi. Viime aikoina näiden solujen tutkimus ja kliininen käyttö on herättänyt paljon huomiota ja kiinnostusta. Mesenkymaalinen kantasolu on lupaava solutyyppi moniin terapeuttisiin sovelluksiin. Erityisesti kudosteknologiset sovellukset käyttävät hyväkseen mesenkymaalisten kantasolujen erilaistumiskykyä. Yksi mesenkymaalisten kantasolujen kiinnostavimmista piirteistä on kuitenkin niiden vaikutus immuunivasteeseen ja mahdollinen käyttö immuunivälitteisten sairauksien, kuten käänteishyljintäreaktion hoidossa. Sekä tutkimus- että terapiakäyttöön tarkoitetut solut täytyy voida tunnistaa, eristää ja karakterisoida hyvin. Solun pinnalla olevat sokerimolekyylit eli glykaanit tarjoavat tähän oivan mahdollisuuden. Sokerirakenteista voidaan tarkkailla yksittäisten glykaanien esiintymisen muutoksia sekä pinnan sokeriprofiilin kokonaismuutoksia. Tutkimusmenetelmät ovat viime vuosina kehittyneet huimasti, mutta vaativat vielä jatkuvaa kehitystä. Sokerirakenteita sitovat proteiinit (vasta-aineet ja lektiinit) ovat laboratorioissa yleisesti käytettyjä diagnostisia työkaluja, ja soveltuvat hyvin solun pinnan sokereiden tutkimiseen. Tarkasti määritetty sitoutumisspesifisyys ja riittävän hyvä sitoutumislujuus ovat merkittäviä tekijöitä glykaaneja sitovien proteiinien onnistuneelle käytölle sekä niiden avulla saatujen tulosten oikeellisuudelle. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa mesenkymaalisten kantasolujen pinnan sokerirakenteita tavoitteena löytää spesifinen markkeri sekä kehittää vasta-aineita näitä rakenteita tunnistamaan. Ensiksi havaitsimme solun pinnan sokeriprofiilin muuttuvan solun erilaistuessa. Keskityimme tarkastelemaan lineaarista poly-LacNAc rakennetta, eli i-antigeenia, jonka määrä solun pinnalla väheni huomattavasti solujen erilaistuessa. Tarkempi karakterisointi osoitti i-antigeenin olevan spesifinen markkeri mesenkymaalisille kantasoluille. Kehitimme i-antigeenin tunnistavan vasta-aineen rekombinanttitekniikalla sekä mesenkymaalisen solun pinnan sokereille spesifisiä vasta-aineita hybridoomatekniikalla. Jotta soluterapiaa voidaan turvallisesti kehittää lisääntyviin hoitotarpeisiin, tarvitaan tarkkoja karakterisointimenetelmiä ja hyviä työkaluja solujen tunnistamiseen ja eristämiseen. Tietoa pinnan sokerirakenteiden muutoksista voidaan käyttää eristettäessä haluttuja solupopulaatiota eri terapiasovelluksiin. Sokerirakenteita sitovien proteiinien kehittäminen edesauttaa sekä soluterapian että glykobiologisen tutkimuksen kehittymistä

Probing the biogenesis pathway and dynamics of thylakoid membranes

How thylakoid membranes are generated to form a metabolically active membrane network and how thylakoid membranes orchestrate the insertion and localization of protein complexes for efficient electron flux remain elusive. Here, we develop a method to modulate thylakoid biogenesis in the rod-shaped cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 by modulating light intensity during cell growth, and probe the spatial-temporal stepwise biogenesis process of thylakoid membranes in cells. Our results reveal that the plasma membrane and regularly arranged concentric thylakoid layers have no physical connections. The newly synthesized thylakoid membrane fragments emerge between the plasma membrane and pre-existing thylakoids. Photosystem I monomers appear in the thylakoid membranes earlier than other mature photosystem assemblies, followed by generation of Photosystem I trimers and Photosystem II complexes. Redistribution of photosynthetic complexes during thylakoid biogenesis ensures establishment of the spatial organization of the functional thylakoid network. This study provides insights into the dynamic biogenesis process and maturation of the functional photosynthetic machinery. Cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes host the molecular machinery for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis and respiratory electron flow. Here, the authors show that newly synthesized thylakoids emerge between the plasma membrane and pre-existing thylakoids and describe the time-dependent assembly process of photosynthetic complexes

Disrupting the rhythm of depression: design and protocol of a randomized controlled trial on preventing relapse using brief cognitive therapy with or without antidepressants

Background: Maintenance treatment with antidepressants is the leading strategy to prevent relapse and recurrence in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) who have responded to acute treatment with antidepressants (AD). However, in clinical practice most patients (up to 70-80%) are not willing to take this medication after remission or take too low dosages. Moreover, as patients need to take medication for several years, it may not be the most cost-effective strategy. The best established effective and available alternative is brief cognitive therapy (CT). However, it is unclear whether brief CT while tapering antidepressants (AD) is an effective alternative for long term use of AD in recurrent depression. In addition, it is unclear whether the combination of AD to brief CT is beneficial.Methods/design: Therefore, we will compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of brief CT while tapering AD to maintenance AD and the combination of CT with maintenance AD. In addition, we examine whether the prophylactic effect of CT was due to CT tackling illness related risk factors for recurrence such as residual symptoms or to its efficacy to modify presumed vulnerability factors of recurrence (e.g. rigid explicit and/or implicit dysfunctional attitudes). This is a multicenter RCT comparing the above treatment scenarios. Remitted patients on AD with at least two previous depressive episodes in the past five years (n = 276) will be recruited. The primary outcome is time related proportion of depression relapse/recurrence during minimal 15 months using DSM-IV-R criteria as assessed by the Structural Clinical Interview for Depression. Secondary outcome: economic evaluation (using a societal perspective) and number, duration and severity of relapses/recurrences.Discussion: This will be the first trial to investigate whether CT is effective in preventing relapse to depression in recurrent depression while tapering antidepressant treatment compared to antidepressant treatment alone and the combination of both. In addition, we explore explicit and implicit mediators of CT.Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR1907

The role of cognitive dysfunction in the symptoms and remission from depression.

The disability and burden associated with major depression comes only in part from its affective symptoms; cognitive dysfunctions associated with depression also play a crucial role. Furthermore, these cognitive impairments during depression are manifold and multilevel affecting elementary and more complex cognitive processes equally. Several models from different directions tried to evaluate, conceptualize and understand the depth and magnitude of cognitive dysfunctions in depression and their bidirectional interactions with other types of depressive symptomatology including mood symptoms. In the current review, we briefly overview different types of cognitive symptoms and deficits related to major depression including hot and cold as well as trait- and state-like cognitive alterations and we also describe current knowledge related to the impact of cognitive impairments on the course and outcomes of depression including remission, residual symptoms, function, and response to treatment. We also emphasize shortcomings of currently available treatments for depression in sufficiently improving cognitive dysfunctions and point out the need for newer pharmacological approaches especially in cooperation with psychotherapeutic interventions

PRegnancy Outcomes after a Maternity Intervention for Stressful EmotionS (PROMISES): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is ample evidence from observational prospective studies that maternal depression or anxiety during pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse psychosocial outcomes in the offspring. However, to date no previous study has demonstrated that treatment of depressive or anxious symptoms in pregnancy actually could prevent psychosocial problems in children. Preventing psychosocial problems in children will eventually bring down the huge public health burden of mental disease. The main objective of this study is to assess the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy in pregnant women with symptoms of anxiety or depression on the child's development as well as behavioural and emotional problems. In addition, we aim to study its effects on the child's development, maternal mental health, and neonatal outcomes, as well as the cost-effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy relative to usual care.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>We will include 300 women with at least moderate levels of anxiety or depression at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. By including 300 women we will be able to demonstrate effect sizes of 0.35 or over on the total problems scale of the child behavioural checklist 1.5-5 with alpha 5% and power (1-beta) 80%.</p> <p>Women in the intervention arm are offered 10-14 individual cognitive behavioural therapy sessions, 6-10 sessions during pregnancy and 4-8 sessions after delivery (once a week). Women in the control group receive care as usual.</p> <p>Primary outcome is behavioural/emotional problems at 1.5 years of age as assessed by the total problems scale of the child behaviour checklist 1.5 - 5 years.</p> <p>Secondary outcomes will be mental, psychomotor and behavioural development of the child at age 18 months according to the Bayley scales, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy and postpartum, and neonatal outcomes such as birth weight, gestational age and Apgar score, health care consumption and general health status (economic evaluation).</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): <a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2242">NTR2242</a></p