Glucagon-producing cells are increased in Mas-deficient mice

It has been shown that Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] produces several effects related to glucose homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of genetic deletion of Ang-(1-7), the GPCR Mas, on the glucagon -producing cells. C57BL6/N Mas-/- mice presented a significant and marked increase in pancreatic {alpha}-cells (number of cells: 146 +/- 21 vs. 67 +/- 8 in WT - p<0.001) and the percentage per islet (17.9±0.91 vs. 12.3 +/- 0.9% in WT - p<0.0001) with subsequent reduction of {beta}-cells percentage (82.1 +/- 0.91 vs. 87.7 +/- 0.9% in WT - p<0.0001). Accordingly, glucagon plasma levels were increased (516.7 +/- 36.35 vs 390.8 +/- 56.45 pg/mL in WT, p<0.05 ) and insulin plasma levels were decreased in C57BL6/N Mas-/- mice (0.25 +/- 0.01 vs 0.31 +/- 56.45 pg/mL in WT- p=0.02). In order to eliminate the possibility of a background-related phenotype we determined the number of glucagon-producing cells in FVB/N Mas-/- mice. In keeping with the observations in C57BL6/N Mas-/- mice, the number and percentage of pancreatic {alpha}-cells were also significantly increased in these mice (number of {alpha}-cells: 260 +/- 22 vs. 156 +/- 12 in WT, p<0.001; percentage per islet: 16 +/- 0.8 vs. 10 +/- 0.5% in WT, p<0.0001). These results suggest that Mas has a previously unexpected role on the pancreatic glucagon production

Crystalline inclusion of wheel-and-axle diol hosts featuring benzo[b]thiophene units as a lateral construction element

By applying the “wheel-and-axle” host concept and incorporating a previously developed heteroaromatic substitution strategy, a new type of diol host featuring two di(benzo[b]thien-2-yl)hydroxymethyl units attached to both ends of a central ethynylene (3) and 1,4-phenylene (4) moiety is reported. The syntheses of the host compounds are described, and solvent inclusion formation via crystallization has extensively been studied showing a remarkable inclusion capability of the compounds. X-ray diffraction analysis of relevant crystal structures have been performed and comparatively discussed. Vapor sorption behavior of the compounds as solid receptor films coated on a quartz crystal microbalance considering a variety of solvent vapors has been scrutinized, indicating potential application as mass sensitive materials

Validation of commercial Mas receptor antibodies for utilization in Western Blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry studies

Mas receptor (MasR) is a G protein-coupled receptor proposed as a candidate for mediating the angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme 2-Ang (1-7) protective axis of renin-angiotensin system. Because the role of this receptor is not definitively clarified, determination of MasR tissue distribution and expression levels constitutes a critical knowledge to fully understanding its function. Commercially available antibodies have been widely employed for MasR protein localization and quantification, but they have not been adequately validated. In this study, we carried on an exhaustive evaluation of four commercial MasR antibodies, following previously established criteria. Western Blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry studies starting from hearts and kidneys from wild type (WT) mice revealed that antibodies raised against different MasR domains yielded different patterns of reactivity. Furthermore, staining patterns appeared identical in samples from MasR knockout (MasR-KO) mice. We verified by polymerase chain reaction analysis that the MasR-KO mice used were truly deficient in this receptor as MAS transcripts were undetectable in either heart or kidney from this animal model. In addition, we evaluated the ability of the antibodies to detect the human c-myc-tagged MasR overexpressed in human embryonic kidney cells. Three antibodies were capable of detecting the MasR either by WB or by immunofluorescence, reproducing the patterns obtained with an anti c-myc antibody. In conclusion, although three of the selected antibodies were able to detect MasR protein at high expression levels observed in a transfected cell line, they failed to detect this receptor in mice tissues at physiological expression levels. As a consequence, validated antibodies that can recognize and detect the MasR at physiological levels are still lacking

Efeito de diferentes proporções de sulfato/cloreto de potássio no potencial produtivo do morangueiro produzido no Distrito Federal.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de duas fontes de fertilizantes potássicos, aplicadas em diferentes proporções no desempenho agronômico do morangueiro.bitstream/item/171485/1/BPD-154.pd

Avaliação nutricional de híbridos de meloeiro cultivados em ambiente protegido.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o estado nutricional de diferentes híbridos de meloeiro, com vistas a selecionar materiais que melhor se adaptem a produção em ambiente protegido

XIPE: the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer

X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a small mission with a launch in 2017 but not selected. XIPE is composed of two out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD) filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus and two additional GPDs filled with pressurized Ar-DME facing the sun. The Minimum Detectable Polarization is 14 % at 1 mCrab in 10E5 s (2-10 keV) and 0.6 % for an X10 class flare. The Half Energy Width, measured at PANTER X-ray test facility (MPE, Germany) with JET-X optics is 24 arcsec. XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE (Brazil).Comment: 49 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables. Paper published in Experimental Astronomy http://link.springer.com/journal/1068

Long-baseline neutrino oscillation physics potential of the DUNE experiment

The sensitivity of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) to neutrino oscillation is determined, based on a full simulation, reconstruction, and event selection of the far detector and a full simulation and parameterized analysis of the near detector. Detailed uncertainties due to the flux prediction, neutrino interaction model, and detector effects are included. DUNE will resolve the neutrino mass ordering to a precision of 5σ, for all ΑCP values, after 2 years of running with the nominal detector design and beam configuration. It has the potential to observe charge-parity violation in the neutrino sector to a precision of 3σ (5σ) after an exposure of 5 (10) years, for 50% of all ΑCP values. It will also make precise measurements of other parameters governing long-baseline neutrino oscillation, and after an exposure of 15 years will achieve a similar sensitivity to sin22θ13 to current reactor experiments

First results on ProtoDUNE-SP liquid argon time projection chamber performance from a beam test at the CERN Neutrino Platform

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber with an active volume of 7.2× 6.1× 7.0 m3. It is installed at the CERN Neutrino Platform in a specially-constructed beam that delivers charged pions, kaons, protons, muons and electrons with momenta in the range 0.3 GeV/c to 7 GeV/c. Beam line instrumentation provides accurate momentum measurements and particle identification. The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a prototype for the first far detector module of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and it incorporates full-size components as designed for that module. This paper describes the beam line, the time projection chamber, the photon detectors, the cosmic-ray tagger, the signal processing and particle reconstruction. It presents the first results on ProtoDUNE-SP\u27s performance, including noise and gain measurements, dE/dx calibration for muons, protons, pions and electrons, drift electron lifetime measurements, and photon detector noise, signal sensitivity and time resolution measurements. The measured values meet or exceed the specifications for the DUNE far detector, in several cases by large margins. ProtoDUNE-SP\u27s successful operation starting in 2018 and its production of large samples of high-quality data demonstrate the effectiveness of the single-phase far detector design