Horticultural uses of botanical variations of woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa L.)

On the basis of the facts it may state that the Salvia nemorosa is an „underestimated” plant at present, but it may be a promising plant species for the future. This is especially true in the Central and Eastern Europe, a region exposed to certain climate changes, such as the more extreme weather, the fluctuation of rainfall distribution, the increasing of temperature, the rapid and unfavourable changes of climate in densely populated cities, the heat-island effects, the atmospheric drought, etc. Therefore, the Salvia nemorosa seems to be a very promising plant for the future generations. The searching and collecting program of the wild botanical variants of woodland sage were launched in 2009, as part of two botanical expeditions carried out in Hungary

Ceruloplasmin Plays a Neuroprotective Role in Cerebral Ischemia

Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is a ferroxidase that also plays a role in iron efflux from cells. It can thus help to regulate cellular iron homeostasis. In the CNS, Cp is expressed as a membrane-anchored form by astrocytes. Here, we assessed the role of Cp in permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) comparing wildtype and Cp null mice. Our studies show that the lesion size is larger and functional recovery impaired in Cp null mice compared to wildtype mice. Expression of Cp increased ninefold at 72 h after pMCAO and remained elevated about twofold at day 14. We also assessed changes in mRNA and protein expression of molecules involved in iron homeostasis. As expected there was a reduction in ferroportin in Cp null mice at 72 h. There was also a remarkable increase in DMT1 protein in both genotypes at 72 h, being much higher in wildtype mice (19.5-fold), that then remained elevated about twofold at 14 days. No difference was seen in transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) expression, except a small reduction in wildtype mice at 72 h, suggesting that the increase in DMT1 may underlie iron uptake independent of TfR1-endosomal uptake. There was also an increase of ferritin light chain in both genotypes. Iron histochemistry showed increased iron accumulation after pMCAO, initially along the lesion border and later throughout the lesion. Immunofluorescence labeling for ferritin (a surrogate marker for iron) and GFAP or CD11b showed increased ferritin in GFAP+ astrocytes along the lesion border in Cp null mice, while CD11b+ macrophages expressed ferritin equally in both genotypes. Increased lipid peroxidation assessed by 4HNE staining was increased threefold in Cp null mice at 72 h after pMCAO; and 3-nitrotyrosine labeling showed a similar trend. Three key pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNFα, and IL-6) were markedly increased at 24 h after pMCAO equally in both genotypes, and remained elevated at lower levels later, indicating that the lack of Cp does not alter key inflammatory cytokine expression after pMCAO. These data indicate that Cp expression is rapidly upregulated after pMCAO, and loss of Cp results in dysregulation of iron homeostasis, increased oxidative damage, greater lesion size and impaired recovery of function

Regeneração de tomate industrial a partir do cultivo "in vitro" de cotilédones "em fenda" visando transformação genética.

As plântulas enraizadas foram transferidas para subtrato esterilizado

Regeneracao in vitro de tomate industrial visando a transformacao genetica.

Investigacoes foram iniciadas no Laboratorio de Biotecnologia da Embrapa-CPATSA visando estabelecer um protocolo para transformacao genetica de algumas variedades nacionais importantes de tomate industrial. Inicialmente, as variedades IPA-5 e IPA-6 foram cultivadas utilizando-se quatro formulas do meio de cultura de tecidos e cinco variacoes de inoculacoes. As gemas com primordios foliares obtidos foram subcultivadas em meio MS (1962) suplementado com 0,5 mg/l de zeatina. Logo apos, os brotos mais desenvolvidos foram transferidos para meio basal modificado de MS, regenerando plantas completas com brotos e raizes que, em seguida, foram aclimatadas em casa-de-vegetacao. Na variedade IPA-5, as frequencias mais altas de inducao de regeneracao variaram entre 76% e 100%. No caso da IPA-6 obteve-se frequencias entre 52,6% e 75%. Com base nesta metodologia, estabeleceu-se a tecnica para transformacao genetica via vetor Agrobacterium tumefaciens pGS-gluc1, atraves dos genes reporter GUS e o marcador de selecao NPT-II, obtendo-se tambem resultados significativos com genes que conferem resistencia contra insetos

BASH: a tool for managing BeadArray spatial artefacts

Summary: With their many replicates and their random layouts, Illumina BeadArrays provide greater scope fordetecting spatial artefacts than do other microarray technologies. They are also robust to artefact exclusion, yet there is a lack of tools that can perform these tasks for Illumina. We present BASH, a tool for this purpose. BASH adopts the concepts of Harshlight, but implements them in a manner that utilizes the unique characteristics of the Illumina technology. Using bead-level data, spatial artefacts of various kinds can thus be identified and excluded from further analyses

Crude Oil Fouling: Fluid Dynamics, Reactions and Phase Change

In the present study, the fluid dynamics and phase behavior of crude-oil fouling in a closed-end heat-exchanger is studied. The deposition process associated with fouling is assumed to be due to two routes: asphaltene precipitation, and a two-step chemical reaction. The SAFT-γ Mie theory is employed to describe the phase behavior of an asphaltene-containing crude oil system, which comprises pseudo-components (C13 ~ C20+). The predicted phase equilibrium constants are used to quantify the asphaltene precipitation rate. A computational fluid dynamics framework is then used to simulate the fouling process, accounting for the multiphase flow dynamics, heat transfer, and the two deposition routes. Fouling is simulated due to the two routes individually and in concert. In the latter case, it is found that the interaction of the two routes is due to the fouling layer adhering to the heatexchanger walls, which influences heat transfer from the hot walls to the cooler oil in the bulk. The delicate interplay between heat transfer and fluid dynamics, which accompanies the flow, leads to enhancement and suppression of chemical reaction- and precipitation-driven fouling, respectively, and an overall rise in the fouling rate

Prevalence and distribution of vascular calcifications at CT scan in patients with and without large vessel vasculitis: A matched cross-sectional study

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence, entity and local distribution of arterial wall calcifications evaluated on CT scans in patients with large vessel vasculitis (LVV) and patients with lymphoma as reference for the population without LVV. Methods All consecutive patients diagnosed with LVVs with available baseline positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) scan performed between 2007 and 2019 were included; non-LVV patients were lymphoma patients matched by age (±5 years), sex and year of baseline PET-CT (≤2013; >2013). CT images derived from baseline PET-CT scans of both patient groups were retrospectively reviewed by a single radiologist who, after setting a threshold of minimum 130 Hounsfield units, semiautomatically computed vascular calcifications in three separate locations (coronaries, thoracic and abdominal arteries), quantified as Agatston and volume scores. Results A total of 266 patients were included. Abdominal artery calcifications were equally distributed (mean volume 3220 in LVVs and 2712 in lymphomas). Being in the LVVs group was associated with the presence of thoracic calcifications after adjusting by age and year of diagnosis (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.35 to 12.66; p=0.013). Similarly, LVVs group was significantly associated with the volume score in the thoracic arteries (p=0.048). In patients >50 years old, calcifications in the coronaries were more extended in non-LVV patients (p=0.027 for volume). Conclusion When compared with patients without LVVs, LVVs patients have higher calcifications in the thoracic arteries, but not in coronary and abdominal arteries

Two-Year Pulmonary Safety and Efficacy of Inhaled Human Insulin (Exubera) in Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 2-year pulmonary safety of inhaled human insulin (Exubera [EXU]) in 635 nonsmoking adults with type 2 diabetes