Feedback Control of Second Messengers Signaling Systems in White Adipose Tissue Adipocytes in Healthy State and Its Loss at Adiposity

Second messengers Ca2+, IP3, cAMP, NO, cGMP, and cADP ribose are incorporated as obligatory elements into multivariable Ca2+-signaling system, which integrates incoming signals of hormones and neurotransmitters in white adipocytes. This cross-controlled system includes two robust generators (RGs) of rhythmic processes, involving phospholipase C- and NO-synthase-dependent signaling networks (PLC-RG and NOS-RG). Multi-loop positive feedback control of both RGs provides their robustness, multistability, signaling interplay, and extreme sensitivity to the alterations of incoming signals of acetylcholine, norepinephrine, insulin, cholecystokinin, atrial natriuretic peptide, bradykinin, and so on. Hypertrophy of cultured adipocytes and of mature cells, isolated from epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), results in the loss of rhythmicity and development of general hormonal signaling resistance. Preadipocytes isolated from eWAT of obese mice cannot grow and accumulate lipids in the media devoid of fatty acids. However, even low concentrations of palmitoylcarnitine in the media (1 μM) may result in drastic suppression of mRNA expressions of the proteins of Ca2+-signaling system, especially of NOS-RG. Similar alterations of gene expression are observed in eWAT and liver at adiposity. All this may indicate on universal background pathogenic mechanisms. Treatment modalities, which may help to restore deregulation of Ca2+-signaling system and corresponding tissues dysfunction, are discussed briefly

Role of Inflammatory Mediators, Growth Factors, and Osteodystrophy in Recurrent Lumbar Disk Herniation

Introduction. Reintervention in patients with spinal disk herniation is shown to significantly decrease likelihood of favorable outcomes in the postoperative period. Thus, it is important to individually assess risk factors for and likelihood of spinal disk herniation recurrence for each patient, and choose a suitable surgical option. Objective: to evaluate changes in the levels of immunoregulatory mediators in the blood serum and extracted spinal disc tissue of allegedly healthy individuals and patients with lumbar disk herniation relapses. Materials and methods. We examined 60 patients. The control group included 19 patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries at the lumbar level. The main group included 41 patients with spinal disk herniation. Twenty-two individuals had primary herniation while 11 patients presented with single clinical and neurological relapses at the pre-operated lumbar level and 8 patients presented with recurrent relapses. Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay detected proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-), chemokines (interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor-1), and osteodestruction markers (osteoprogesterin, matrix metalloproteinase-8) in the blood serum and the extracted spinal disc tissue. Results. We found that spinal disk destruction and chronic inflammation developed with both locally and generally elevating levels of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines, growth factors, and matrix metalloproteinase 8. Conclusion. The results emphasize the significance of local changes in the studied parameters to choose and plan personalized surgical treatment in patients with spinal disk herniation

Assessment of the Trophic State of a Small Plain Reservoir during Different Periods of Its Existence (a Case Study of the Penza Reservoir on the Sura River)

Представлена сравнительная характеристика содержания биогенных элементов и органического вещества, а также количественных показателей фитопланктона Пензенского (Сурского) водохранилища в периоды 1984–1992 и 2016–2019 гг. В настоящее время содержание фосфатов увеличилось в 3 раза, концентрация минерального азота осталась на прежнем уровне. Сезонная динамика фосфора и минерального азота различалась: максимальные концентрации фосфатов наблюдали летом и осенью, а азота – в паводковый период. Доминирующим источником генезиса фосфора сейчас являются, вероятно, внутриводоемные процессы. Преобладающей формой минерального азота в 2016–2019 гг. стали нитраты, весенний максимум которых свидетельствует о преимущественном поступлении с паводковым стоком. Соотношение минеральных форм N и Р указывает на то, что фосфор не лимитирует развитие водорослей. В отдельные периоды (лето 2017–2018 гг.) наблюдали достоверную отрицательную связь между величиной биомассы водорослей и содержанием общего железа в воде (r = -0,81, р = 0,016). «Цветения» воды в течение последних лет не отмечалось. В 2019 г. численность Cyanoprocaryota возросла, но биомасса их на отдельных участках не превышала 2,18–2,42 мг/дм3. В доминирующем комплексе цианопрокариот в 2019 г. практически отсутствовал Microcystis aeruginosa (Kütz.), но появился Planktothrix agardhii (Gom.) Anagn. et Kom., устойчивый к малой освещенности и низкому соотношению азота и фосфора. Доля легкоокисляемого органического вещества в общем органическом веществе как в конце XX в., так и в последнее время характеризует водохранилище как стабильно эвтрофное, тем не менее количественные характеристики фитопланктона в последние годы свидетельствуют об уменьшении трофностиThe present study provides comparative characterization of the contents of nutrients and organic matter and quantitative parameters of phytoplankton of the Sura (Penza) reservoir during 1984–1992 and 2016–2019. At present, the content of phosphates has increased by 3 times while the concentration of mineral nitrogen has remained unchanged. The seasonal dynamics of phosphorus and mineral nitrogen are different: the maximum phosphate concentrations are observed in summer and autumn, but nitrogen is the highest during the flood period. At the present time, phosphorus is mainly generated in intra-reservoir processes. Nitrates were the predominant form of mineral nitrogen in 2016–2019, and their spring maximum suggests predominant intake with the flood flow. The ratio of the mineral forms of nitrogen and phosphorus indicates that, at the present time, phosphorus is not the element that limits the development of algae. In certain periods (summer 2017–2018), a significant negative relationship was observed between the algal biomass and the total iron content in water (r = -0.81, p = 0.016). No Cyanoprocaryota “blooms” have been observed in recent years. In 2019, the abundance of Cyanoprocaryota increased, but in some regions, biomass was no more than 2.18–2.42 mg/dm3. In 2019, the dominant Cyanoprocaryota group did not contain Microcystis aeruginosa (Kütz.), but a new species was identified – Planktothrix agardhii (Gom.) Anagn. et Kom., which is resistant to low light and the low nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. The proportion of readily oxidized organic matter in the total organic matter, both at the end of the 20th century and recently, characterizes the reservoir as stably eutrophic, although the quantitative characteristics of phytoplankton in recent years indicate declining trophic statu

A multi-wavelength polarimetric study of the blazar CTA 102 during a Gamma-ray flare in 2012

We perform a multi-wavelength polarimetric study of the quasar CTA 102 during an extraordinarily bright $\gamma$-ray outburst detected by the {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope in September-October 2012 when the source reached a flux of F$_{>100~\mathrm{MeV}} =5.2\pm0.4\times10^{-6}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. At the same time the source displayed an unprecedented optical and NIR outburst. We study the evolution of the parsec scale jet with ultra-high angular resolution through a sequence of 80 total and polarized intensity Very Long Baseline Array images at 43 GHz, covering the observing period from June 2007 to June 2014. We find that the $\gamma$-ray outburst is coincident with flares at all the other frequencies and is related to the passage of a new superluminal knot through the radio core. The powerful $\gamma$-ray emission is associated with a change in direction of the jet, which became oriented more closely to our line of sight ($\theta\sim$1.2$^{\circ}$) during the ejection of the knot and the $\gamma$-ray outburst. During the flare, the optical polarized emission displays intra-day variability and a clear clockwise rotation of EVPAs, which we associate with the path followed by the knot as it moves along helical magnetic field lines, although a random walk of the EVPA caused by a turbulent magnetic field cannot be ruled out. We locate the $\gamma$-ray outburst a short distance downstream of the radio core, parsecs from the black hole. This suggests that synchrotron self-Compton scattering of near-infrared to ultraviolet photons is the probable mechanism for the $\gamma$-ray production.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Emission-line Variability during a Nonthermal Outburst in the Gamma-Ray Bright Quasar 1156+295

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.We present multi-epoch optical spectra of the γ-ray bright blazar 1156+295 (4C +29.45, Ton 599) obtained with the 4.3 m Lowell Discovery Telescope. During a multiwavelength outburst in late 2017, when the γ-ray flux increased to 2.5 × 10−6 phot cm−2 s−1 and the quasar was first detected at energies ≥100 GeV, the flux of the Mg ii λ2798 emission line changed, as did that of the Fe emission complex at shorter wavelengths. These emission-line fluxes increased along with the highly polarized optical continuum flux, which is presumably synchrotron radiation from the relativistic jet, with a relative time delay of ≲2 weeks. This implies that the line-emitting clouds lie near the jet, which points almost directly toward the line of sight. The emission-line radiation from such clouds, which are located outside the canonical accretion-disk related broad-line region, may be a primary source of seed photons that are up-scattered to γ-ray energies by relativistic electrons in the jet. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.This research was supported in part by NASA Fermi guest investigator program grants 80NSSC19K1504 and 80NSSC20K1565. We thank A. Tchekhovskoy for discussion of possible origins of the variable line-emitting clouds. These results made use of the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) at Lowell Observatory. Lowell Observatory is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to astrophysical research and public appreciation of astronomy, and operates the LDT in partnership with Boston University, the University of Maryland, the University of Toledo, Northern Arizona University and Yale University. This study was based in part on observations conducted using the 1.8 m Perkins Telescope Observatory (PTO) in Arizona, which is owned and operated by Boston University. I.A. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación" (MCINN) through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award for the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía-CSIC (SEV-2017-0709). Acquisition and reduction of the MAPCAT data were supported in part by MICINN through grants AYA2016-80889-P and PID2019-107847RB-C44. The MAPCAT observations were carried out at the German-Spanish Calar Alto Observatory, which is jointly operated by Junta de Andalucía and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Data from the Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project were used; this program was supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX15AU81G. C.C. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the grant agreement No. 771282.Peer reviewe

Multiwavelength behaviour of the blazar 3C 279: Decade-long study from γ -ray to radio

We report the results of decade-long (2008-2018) γ -ray to 1 GHz radio monitoring of the blazar 3C 279, including GASP/WEBT, Fermi and Swift data, as well as polarimetric and spectroscopic data. The X-ray and γ -ray light curves correlate well, with no delay ≳ 3 h, implying general cospatiality of the emission regions. The γ -ray-optical flux-flux relation changes with activity state, ranging from a linear to amore complex dependence. The behaviour of the Stokes parameters at optical and radio wavelengths, including 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array images, supports either a predominantly helical magnetic field or motion of the radiating plasma along a spiral path. Apparent speeds of emission knots range from 10 to 37c, with the highest values requiring bulk Lorentz factors close to those needed to explain γ -ray variability on very short time-scales. The MgII emission line flux in the 'blue' and 'red' wings correlates with the optical synchrotron continuum flux density, possibly providing a variable source of seed photons for inverse Compton scattering. In the radio bands, we find progressive delays of the most prominent light-curve maxima with decreasing frequency, as expected from the frequency dependence of the τ= 1 surface of synchrotron self-absorption. The global maximum in the 86 GHz light curve becomes less prominent at lower frequencies, while a local maximum, appearing in 2014, strengthens toward decreasing frequencies, becoming pronounced at ∼5 GHz. These tendencies suggest different Doppler boosting of stratified radio-emitting zones in the jet. © 2020 The Author(s).We thank the referee for attentive reading and comments that helped to improve presentation of the manuscript. The data collected by the WEBT collaboration are stored in the WEBT archive at the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino -INAF (ht tp://www.oato.inaf.it/blazars/webt/); for questions regarding their availability, please contact the WEBT President Massimo Villata([email protected]).TheSt.Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. The research at BU was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant AST-1615796 and NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grants 80NSSC17K0649, 80NSSC19K1504, and 80NSSC19K1505. The PRISM camera at Lowell Observatory was developed by K. Janes et al. at BU and Lowell Observatory, with funding from the NSF, BU, and Lowell Observatory. The emission-line observations made use of the DCT at Lowell Observatory, supported by Discovery Communications, Inc., BU, the University of Maryland, the University of Toledo, and Northern Arizona University. The VLBA is an instrument of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the US NSF, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. This research has used data from the UMRAO which was supported by the University of Michigan; research at this facility was supported by NASA under awards NNX09AU16G, NNX10AP16G, NNX11AO13G, and NNX13AP18G, and by the NSF under award AST-0607523. The Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project was supported by NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX15AU81G. The Torino group acknowledges financial contribution from agreement ASI-INAF n.2017-14-H.0 and from contract PRIN-SKA-CTA-INAF 2016. I.A. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC-2013-14511) of the 'Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion, y Universidades (MICIU)' of Spain and from MCIU through the 'Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa' award for the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia-CSIC (SEV-20170709). Acquisition and reduction of the POLAMI and MAPCAT data were supported by MICIU through grant AYA2016-80889-P. The POLAMI observations were carried out at the IRAM 30-m Telescope, supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). The MAPCAT observations were carried out at theGerman-Spanish Calar Alto Observatory, jointly operated by the Max-Plank-Institut fur Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia-CSIC. The study is based partly on data obtained with the STELLA robotic telescopes in Tenerife, an AIP facility jointly operated by AIP and IAC. The OVRO 40-m monitoring program is supported in part by NASA grants NNX08AW31G, NNX11A043G, and NNX14AQ89G, and NSF grants AST-0808050 and AST-1109911. TH was supported by the Academy of Finland projects 317383 and 320085. AZT-24 observations were made within an agreement between Pulkovo, Rome and Teramo observatories. The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract FR/217950/16. r This research was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science under grants DN 081/2016, DN 18-13/2017, KP-06-H28/3 (2018), and KP-06-PN38/1 (2019), Bulgarian National Science Programme 'Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students 2019', Bulgarian National Science Fund under grant DN18-10/2017 and National RI Roadmap Projects DO1-157/28.08.2018 and DO1-153/28.08.2018 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory via bilateral joint research project `Study of ICRF radio-sources and fast variable astronomical objects' (head -G. Damljanovic). This work was partly supported by the National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria under grant DN 08-20/2016, and by project RD-08-37/2019 of the University of Shumen. This work is a part of projects nos 176011, 176004, and 176021, supported by theMinistry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. MGM acknowledges support through the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) is managed by the Fondazione Clement Fillietroz-ONLUS, which is supported by the Regional Government of the Aosta Valley, the Town Municipality of Nus and the 'Unite des Communes vald 'otainesMont-Emilius'. The research at the OAVdA was partially funded by several `Research and Education' annual grants from Fondazione CRT. This article is partly based on observations made with the IAC80 and TCS telescopes operated by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in the Spanish Observatorio del Teide on the island of Tenerife. A part of the observations were carried out using theRATAN-600 scientific equipment (SAO of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

EJECTION PRESSURE LOCK CHARACTERISTICS AND CALCULATION

A design model and general properties of the ejection pressure lock are offered. A selection method of the pressure lock with the lowest power consumption is developed