Probing the mechanical properties of TNF-α stimulated endothelial cell with atomic force microscopy

TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates the permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels. The plasma concentration of TNF-α is elevated (> 1 pg/mL) in several pathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, pre-eclampsia; in obese individuals; and in trauma patients. To test whether circulating TNF-α could induce similar alterations in different districts along the vascular system, three endothelial cell lines, namely HUVEC, HPMEC, and HCAEC, were characterized in terms of 1) mechanical properties, employing atomic force microscopy; 2) cytoskeletal organization, through fluorescence microscopy; and 3) membrane overexpression of adhesion molecules, employing ELISA and immunostaining. Upon stimulation with TNF-α (10 ng/mL for 20 h), for all three endothelial cells, the mechanical stiffness increased by about 50% with a mean apparent elastic modulus of E ~5 ± 0.5 kPa (~3.3 ± 0.35 kPa for the control cells); the density of F-actin filaments increased in the apical and median planes; and the ICAM-1 receptors were overexpressed compared with controls. Collectively, these results demonstrate that sufficiently high levels of circulating TNF-α have similar effects on different endothelial districts, and provide additional information for unraveling the possible correlations between circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and systemic vascular dysfunction

Análisis económico-financiero a las alternativas de cosecha de caña de azúcar en Tucumán

El sector sucro-alcoholero es la principal actividad económica de Tucumán, durante la zafra coexisten dos sistemas de cosecha: Semimecanizada: corte y apilado manual, limpieza mediante uso de fuego (afecta el sistema agrícola y es perjudicial para la sociedad, además de estar prohibida), carga mecánica en equipos de transporte. Utilizada por 4730 pequeños cañeros con menos de 50 ha. Mecanizada: maquinaria autopropulsada que corta, despunta, trocea, limpia y carga en una única operación. Cosecha en verde. Para operar en campos de pequeños productores, éstos deben sistematizarlos y adaptarlos, lo que implica reducir la superficie plantada, expresada en surcos/ha. Se aplicó el método beneficio costo para ambos sistemas de cosecha con distintos niveles de sensibilidad según tamaño de productor y rendimiento cultural por surco. Para el cálculo del VAN se utiliza una tasa de descuento (%) del 5, 10, 12, 16, 20., si bien el VAN diferencial es negativo, no significa inviabilidad del proyecto, el dato acerca a cuanto el productor deja de ganar. Se concluye que el cambio de sistema semimecanizada a cosecha integral implica una reducción del rendimiento económico de la plantación. Esta diferencia es menor cuando más se parece a la situación sin proyecto en sistema semimecanizada.Sugar-alcohol industry is the main economic activity in Tucumán. There are two harvest systems coexisting during this period: Semi-mechanized: manual cutting and stacking, cleaning by fire (it affects the agricultural system and is harmful to society, also prohibited) and mechanical load on transport equipment. It’s used by 4,730 small sugar cane growers with less than 50 ha. Mechanized: machinery cuts the stalks at the base, strips the leaves off, and then cuts the cane into segments and load it into the transport, avoiding use of fire. Small farmers must prepare and clean off from obstacles they land before introducing these harvesters, which implies reducing the area planted (rows/ha). Cost-benefit method was applied for both harvesting systems with different sensitivity levels according to the producer’s scale and cultural yield. To calculate the NPV, discount rates (%) of 5, 10, 12, 16, 20 are used, although the differential NPV is negative, it does not mean the project is not feasible. It is concluded that turning from a semi-mechanized system to an integral harvest necessarily implies a reduction in the economic yield of the plantation. This difference is smaller when it more closely resembles the situation without a project into a semi-mechanized system.Centro de Investigación en Economía y ProspectivaFil: Ibern, Danila Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro. Agencia de Extensión Rural San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Jaldo Alvaro, Delia Mariana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro de Investigación en Economía y Prospectiva (CIEP); ArgentinaFil: Ortiz, Joaquín Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; Argentin

Análisis económico de la incorporación de la cosecha mecanizada en el sistema del pequeño productor cañero de Tucumán

Ponencia y presentación en diapositivasEn el sector sucroalcoholero de Tucumán existen 3500 productores con menos de 50 hectáreas. Aproximadamente el 80% de ellos adopta el sistema de cosecha semimecanizada, el cual utiliza la quema de los tallos cosechados como una etapa de la cosecha a pesar que existen alternativas de cosecha en verde. Las emisiones y cenizas generadas por la quema afectan al medio ambiente y a la salud de la población. Este trabajo aborda los costos y beneficios económicos en predios de pequeños productores de caña a azúcar con el fin de diagnosticar los resultados económicos de su campaña agrícola. Para ello se utilizan distintos escenarios según rendimientos culturales de entre 800- 1100 kilos por surcos, se comparan los sistemas de cosecha semimecanizada y mecanizada integral para 1 y 50 hectáreas. Adaptar pequeños lotes para el ingreso y maniobrabilidad de maquinarias de cosecha integral implica una reducción del área de cultivo, y por ende de los beneficios. Cuanto menor es la superficie plantada mayor es el impacto porcentual del área destinada, lo que explica que productores caracterizados continúen aplicando el sistema de cosecha semimecanizada en estrato en cuestión, quedando irresuelta problemática ambiental.In Tucumán, sugar and alcohol industry has 3,500 small sugar cane farmers with less than 50 hectares. Approximately 80% of them embrace semi-mechanized harvest with fire as a usual practice, besides the fact there are alternatives for a green harvesting. Ashes and GHGs seriously affect local population and environment. The objective of this work is to evaluate economic results from small sugar cane farmers crop year by comparing cost and benefits. To achieve these aims, different scenarios in which farmers with 1 or 50 hectares, cultural yields between 800-1100 kilograms per 100 meters row and both: semi-mechanized and mechanized harvest. In other to admit mechanized harvesters entering the farm the number of rows per hectare must be reduce from 60 to 53 to increase the machinery maneuvering area, this results in less income per hectare. The lower the plantation is, the higher the percentage of soil destine for machinery maneuvering, which evidence why small farmers embrace semi-mechanized harvesting despite burning environmental problem is not solved.Centro de Investigación en Economía y ProspectivaFil: Jaldo Alvaro, Delia Mariana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro de Investigación en Economía y Prospectiva (CIEP); ArgentinaFil: Ortiz, Joaquín Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Ibern, Danila Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro. Agencia de Extensión Rural San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Aragón, Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Aragón, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia; Argentin

Limitantes para la mecanización de cosecha en caña de azúcar del estrato de pequeños productores de Tucumán

En el sector sucroalcoholero de Tucumán existen 3500 productores con menos de 50 hectáreas. Aproximadamente el 80% de ellos adopta el sistema de cosecha semimecanizada, el cual utiliza la quema para limpieza a pesar que existen alternativas de cosecha en verde. Las emisiones y cenizas de la quema afectan al medio ambiente y a la salud de la población. Este trabajo analiza los costos y los beneficios económicos en predios de pequeños productores de caña a azúcar. Para ello se plantean escenarios según distintos rendimientos culturales para comparar los sistemas de cosecha semimecanizada y mecanizada integral, productores de 1 y 50 hectáreas respectivamente, concluyendo que adaptar pequeños lotes para el ingreso y maniobrabilidad de maquinarias de cosecha implica una reducción del área de cultivo, y por ende de los beneficios.Centro de Investigación en Economía y ProspectivaFil: Ortiz, Joaquín Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Jaldo Alvaro, Delia Mariana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro de Investigación en Economía y Prospectiva (CIEP); ArgentinaFil: Ibern, Danila Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro. Agencia de Extensión Rural San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Aragón, Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; ArgentinaFil: Aragón, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia; Argentin

Long-term outcomes of the global tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection cohort

Background: Longitudinal cohort data of patients with tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are lacking. In our global study, we describe long-term outcomes of patients affected by TB and COVID-19. Methods: We collected data from 174 centres in 31 countries on all patients affected by COVID-19 and TB between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2022. Patients were followed-up until cure, death or end of cohort time. All patients had TB and COVID-19; for analysis purposes, deaths were attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional risk-regression models, and the log-rank test was used to compare survival and mortality attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Results: Overall, 788 patients with COVID-19 and TB (active or sequelae) were recruited from 31 countries, and 10.8% (n=85) died during the observation period. Survival was significantly lower among patients whose death was attributed to TB and COVID-19 versus those dying because of either TB or COVID-19 alone (p<0.001). Significant adjusted risk factors for TB mortality were higher age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), HIV infection (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.02-5.16) and invasive ventilation (HR 4.28, 95% CI 2.34-7.83). For COVID-19 mortality, the adjusted risks were higher age (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04), male sex (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.91), oxygen requirement (HR 7.93, 95% CI 3.44-18.26) and invasive ventilation (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.36-3.53). Conclusions: In our global cohort, death was the outcome in >10% of patients with TB and COVID-19. A range of demographic and clinical predictors are associated with adverse outcomes

Buckysomes: New Nanocarriers for Anticancer Drugs

Buckysomes, liposome-like vesicles comprised of dendritic C60 subunits that self-assemble into unilamellar vesicles, are unique nanovectors that have utility in drug delivery. We have prepared paclitaxel-embedded buckysomes (PEBs) and examined biodistriubition profiles with commercially available formulations of the drug. As compared to Abraxane, an albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel, PEBs showed higher tissue accumulation in the liver and the kidney at 45 and 60 minutes and in the lungs at 30 minutes, making them suitable drug-delivery carriers for short-term therapy to the mentioned organs. These buckysomes can be further functionalized to specifically deliver paclitaxel to the tumor site

Biological Atomic Force Microscopy for Imaging Gold-Labeled Liposomes on Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells

Although atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used extensively to characterize cell membrane structure and cellular processes such as endocytosis and exocytosis, the corrugated surface of the cell membrane hinders the visualization of extracellular entities, such as liposomes, that may interact with the cell. To overcome this barrier, we used 90 nm nanogold particles to label FITC liposomes and monitor their endocytosis on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) in vitro. We were able to study the internalization process of gold-coupled liposomes on endothelial cells, by using AFM. We found that the gold-liposomes attached to the HCAEC cell membrane during the first 15–30 min of incubation, liposome cell internalization occurred from 30 to 60 min, and most of the gold-labeled liposomes had invaginated after 2 hr of incubation. Liposomal uptake took place most commonly at the periphery of the nuclear zone. Dynasore monohydrate, an inhibitor of endocytosis, obstructed the internalization of the gold-liposomes. This study showed the versatility of the AFM technique, combined with fluorescent microscopy, for investigating liposome uptake by endothelial cells. The 90 nm colloidal gold nanoparticles proved to be a noninvasive contrast agent that efficiently improves AFM imaging during the investigation of biological nanoprocesses

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Incidental Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma in an Endemic Goiter Area

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is a common malignant disease of the endocrine system, which has rapidly increased in incidence and prevalence in recent decades. The aim of our paper was to identify correlations between pathological and clinical features of cases of PTMC. A total of 612 patients of both genders, who were operated on for benign thyroid diseases in the 3rd Surgical Unit of St. Spiridon University Hospital of Iasi, were monitored for a period of 2 years. According to pathological reports, PTMC was diagnosed in 144 cases. Of those cases, 81.2% were female and 18.8% were male, with an overall mean age of 54.77 ± 11.9 years. The mean diameter of tumors was 3.04 ± 2.2 mm (75.7% were under 5 mm), and 35.4% were multifocal tumors. Of all tumors studied, 76.4% were the follicular variant, 13.2% were conventional, and 10.4% of cases included tall cell, hobnail, or columnar variants. The underlying diseases were multinodular goiters (73.6%), adenomas (25%), Hashimoto thyroiditis (17.4%), Basedow’s disease, and other types of hyperthyroidism (4.9%), primarily hyperparathyroidism (7.6%), with a small percentage presenting a combination thereof. Extracapsular invasion was present in 14.6% while 5.6% presented perineural invasion and 0.7% of cases had vascular invasion. Lymphatic emboli were found in 9% of cases and lymph node metastasis in 5.6% of cases. PTMC is not as innocent as believed, and further studies, performed on larger batches, would be necessary in order to identify high oncological risk cases and to determine when a more aggressive surgical approach is indicated