Death anxiety and religious belief: A research note

This study assessed the contribution of religious beliefs in moderating the effect of death anxiety on forty five (45) subjects who were diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease {ALS). Subjects were administered the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Shepherd Christianity Questionnaire. Results indicate an inverse relationship between religious beliefs and death anxiety. The age and gender of each respondent was also examined to see if there was a correlation with death anxiety. Neither of these variables produced statistically significant effects on death anxiety

Efflux Protein Expression in Human Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in the back of the eye nourish photoreceptor cells and form a selective barrier that influences drug transport from the blood to the photoreceptor cells. At the molecular level, ATP-dependent efflux transporters have a major role in drug delivery in human RPE. In this study, we assessed the relative expression of several ATP-dependent efflux transporter genes (MRP1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, p-gp, and BCRP), the protein expression and localization of MRP1, MRP4, and MRP5, and the functionality of MRP1 efflux pumps at different maturation stages of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and RPE derived from the hESC (hESC-RPE). Our findings revealed that the gene expression of ATP-dependent efflux transporters MRP1, -3, -4, -5, and p-gp fluctuated during hESC-RPE maturation from undifferentiated hESC to fusiform, epithelioid, and finally to cobblestone hESC-RPE. Epithelioid hESC-RPE had the highest expression of MRP1, -3, -4, and P-gp, whereas the most mature cobblestone hESC-RPE had the highest expression of MRP5 and MRP6. These findings indicate that a similar efflux protein profile is shared between hESC-RPE and the human RPE cell line, ARPE-19, and suggest that hESC-RPE cells are suitable in vitro RPE models for drug transport studies. Embryonic stem cell model might provide a novel tool to study retinal cell differentiation, mechanisms of RPE -derived diseases, drug testing and targeted drug therapy

Impacto del tráfico de equipos durante la cosecha de caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum)

Para determinar el impacto del tráfico sobre el suelo, el cultivo y el consumo energético durante la cosecha de caña de azúcar en el valle del río Cauca (Colombia), se establecieron experimentos de cuatro repeticiones con diferentes sistemas de cosecha. En cada sitio se cosecharon mecánicamente parcelas con vagones de auto volteo, HD8000, HD12000 y HD20000, se evaluaron por la intensidad de tráfico (IT), el pisoteo directo sobre la cepa, la resistencia a la penetración y el consumo energético. Vagones grandes y pesados causaron mayor IT y mayor efecto por compactación y pisoteo. La IT varió entre 241 y 317 Mg km ha-1. El pisoteo en la cabecera varió de 8 a 18 m por surco y sobre la cepa los vagones pisaron entre 5 y 24% de su ancho. Hubo diferencias no significativas en productividad hasta de 13,9% favorable a los vagones livianos. En cosecha semimecánica, realizada con trenes de vagones, disminuyó la IT al rango 60-113 Mg km ha-1; pero aumentó el pisoteo en las cabeceras hasta 39 m por surco, hubo diferencias no significativas en productividad hasta del 4% entre sistemas de vagones livianos y pesados. Además, los vagones livianos con manejo adecuado de la cosecha, llegan a ser favorables por menor consumo de combustible y emisiones.This study was carried out to determine the impact of traffic on soil compaction, crop and energy consumption during the sugarcane harvest in the Cauca river valley (Colombia). Four experiments with four replicates were harvested with different systems. Plots were mechanically harvested with self tipping, HD8000, HD12000 and HD20000 trailers and evaluated by traffic intensity (IT), direct stool traffic, penetration resistance and fuel consumption. Heavy trailers caused a greater effect due to a greater IT and direct stool traffic. IT varied between 241 and 317 Mg km ha-1. Stool traffic at the end of field varied from 8 to 18 m per furrow, meanwhile stool traffic along the furrow varied from 5 to 24%. There were no significant differences for productivity up to 13.9% favoring light trailers. Semi-mechanical harvesting was realized with trains of trailers, IT fell down to a 60 - 113 Mg km ha-1 range because a larger area is harvested during one pass of the equipment, but stool traffic increased up to 39 m per furrow for the longer trains, there was a 4% non significant difference for productivity from light to heavy trailers. Furthermore, light trailers with an adequate management are better options with lower energy consumption and emissions

Alteración de las propiedades mecánicas de un Ustochrept Udértico tratado con agua enriquecida en sodio

El riego con aguas con alto contenido de sodio puede provocar el deterioro de las propiedades físico-mecá - nicas de los suelos. En el presente trabajo se trató de evidenciar el efecto del tratamiento con agua rica en sodio sobre esas propiedades en un Ustochrept Udértico en dos tratamientos con distinta relación de adsor - ción de sodio (valor RAS) de 5 y 45. Se evaluó el comportamiento a la compresión y al corte obteniéndose los parámetros cohesión y coeficiente de fricción interna. En el ámbito de la Teoría de Estado Crítico (EC) se analizaron las líneas vírgenes de ambos tratamientos y el comportamiento expansivo/compresivo al corte mediante la ubicación de la línea de EC. El aumento de la concentración de sodio provocó la densificación del suelo, mayor resistencia a la compresión (-0,023 λ sódico vs. -0,094 λ no sódico), aumento de la cohesión (263 kPa sódico vs. 114,5 kPa no sódico) y esfuerzo cortante (363 kPa sódico vs. 250 kPa no sódico). Dentro de la Teoría de EC se evidenció una mayor capacidad expansiva del tratamiento más sódico durante el corte en términos relativos. Los cambios hallados repercuten sobre el potencial productivo y la energía necesaria para las labranzas en el suelo estudiado

Differential Expression Levels of MRP1, MRP4, and MRP5 in Response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Human Macrophages

Multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs) have been reported to be involved in the efflux of some anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs. We show here that MRP1, MRP4, and MRP5 are expressed at the mRNA level in human monocyte-derived macrophages. HIV infection caused increased transcription of these MRPs; however, temporal differences in stimulation are reported