Lactate signalling regulates fungal β-glucan masking and immune evasion

AJPB: This work was supported by the European Research Council (STRIFE, ERC- 2009-AdG-249793), The UK Medical Research Council (MR/M026663/1), the UK Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BB/K017365/1), the Wellcome Trust (080088; 097377). ERB: This work was supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BB/M014525/1). GMA: Supported by the CNPq-Brazil (Science without Borders fellowship 202976/2014-9). GDB: Wellcome Trust (102705). CAM: This work was supported by the UK Medical Research Council (G0400284). DMM: This work was supported by UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC/K000306/1). NARG/JW: Wellcome Trust (086827, 075470,101873) and Wellcome Trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology (097377). ALL: This work was supported by the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology and the University of Aberdeen (MR/N006364/1).Peer reviewedPostprin

О ПРИМЕНЕНИИ НАНОПОРОШКОВОЙ ПРОДУКЦИИ АЗИДНОЙ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ СВС ДЛЯ АРМИРОВАНИЯ И МОДИФИЦИРОВАНИЯ АЛЮМИНИЕВЫХ СПЛАВОВ

The survey of types and fabrication methods of aluminum matrix composite materials discretely reinforced with ceramic particles and nanoparticles of refractory compounds is given. It is shown that the azide technology of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS-Az), which uses sodium azide NaN3 as a solid nitriding agent, makes it possible to fabricate numerous comparatively inexpensive micropowders and nanopowders of nitrides, carbonitrides, carbides, and their compositions, which are of interest for the reinforcement and modification of aluminum alloy. Along with the mentioned target ceramic particles, the SHS-Az product contains side haloid salts (sodium and potassium chlorides and fluorides), which can play the role of fluxes with the addition of ceramic particles into the aluminum melt. The results of experiments on the introduction of the nanopowder composition into the melt of AK6M2 alloy, %: β-SiC – 48,6, α-Si3N4 – 27,0, β-Si3N4 – 5,8, Na3AlF6 – 18,6 in the composition of the compacted pseudo-master alloy with the copper powder, which evidence the modifying effect, are presented.Дан обзор видов и методов получения алюмоматричных композиционных материалов, дискретно армированных керамическими частицами и наночастицами тугоплавких соединений. Показано, что азидная технология самораспространяющегося высокотемпературного синтеза (СВС-Аз), использующая азид натрия NaN3 в качестве твердого азотирующего реагента, позволяет получать большое число сравнительно недорогих микро- и нанопорошков нитридов, карбонитридов, карбидов и их композиций, которые представляют интерес для армирования и модифицирования алюминиевых сплавов. Наряду с указанными целевыми керамическими частицами продукт СВС-Аз содержит побочные галоидные соли (хлориды и фториды натрия и калия), которые могут играть роль флюсов при добавлении керамических частиц в расплав алюминия. Представлены результаты экспериментов по вводу в расплав сплава АК6М2 нанопорошковой композиции, %: β-SiC – 48,6, α-Si3N4 – 27,0, β-Si3N4 – 5,8, Na3AlF6 – 18,6 в составе прессованной псевдолигатуры с порошком меди, свидетельствующие о модифицирующем эффекте

Neural Predictors of Gait Stability When Walking Freely in the Real-World.

Background: Gait impairments during real-world locomotion are common in neurological diseases. However, very little is currently known about the neural correlates of walking in the real world and on which regions of the brain are involved in regulating gait stability and performance. As a first step to understanding how neural control of gait may be impaired in neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, we investigated how regional brain activation might predict walking performance in the urban environment and whilst engaging with secondary tasks in healthy subjects. Methods: We recorded gait characteristics including trunk acceleration and brain activation in fourteen healthy young subjects whilst they walked around the university campus freely (single task), while conversing with the experimenter and while texting with their smartphone. Neural spectral power density (PSD) was evaluated in three brain regions of interest, namely the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and bilateral posterior parietal cortex (right/left PPC). We hypothesized that specific regional neural activation would predict trunk acceleration data obtained during the different walking conditions. Results: Vertical trunk acceleration was predicted by gait velocity and left PPC theta (4-7 Hz) band PSD in single-task walking (R-squared = 0.725, p = 0.001) and by gait velocity and left PPC alpha (8-12 Hz) band PSD in walking while conversing (R-squared = 0.727, p = 0.001). Medio-lateral trunk acceleration was predicted by left PPC beta (15-25 Hz) band PSD when walking while texting (R-squared = 0.434, p = 0.010). Conclusions: We suggest that the left PPC may be involved in the processes of sensorimotor integration and gait control during walking in real-world conditions. Frequency-specific coding was operative in different dual tasks and may be developed as biomarkers of gait deficits in neurological conditions during performance of these types of, now commonly undertaken, dual tasks

Hyphal Development in Candida albicans Requires Two Temporally Linked Changes in Promoter Chromatin for Initiation and Maintenance

Phenotypic plasticity is common in development. For Candida albicans, the most common cause of invasive fungal infections in humans, morphological plasticity is its defining feature and is critical for its pathogenesis. Unlike other fungal pathogens that exist primarily in either yeast or hyphal forms, C. albicans is able to switch reversibly between yeast and hyphal growth forms in response to environmental cues. Although many regulators have been found involved in hyphal development, the mechanisms of regulating hyphal development and plasticity of dimorphism remain unclear. Here we show that hyphal development involves two sequential regulations of the promoter chromatin of hypha-specific genes. Initiation requires a rapid but temporary disappearance of the Nrg1 transcriptional repressor of hyphal morphogenesis via activation of the cAMP-PKA pathway. Maintenance requires promoter recruitment of Hda1 histone deacetylase under reduced Tor1 (target of rapamycin) signaling. Hda1 deacetylates a subunit of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase module, leading to eviction of the NuA4 acetyltransferase module and blockage of Nrg1 access to promoters of hypha-specific genes. Promoter recruitment of Hda1 for hyphal maintenance happens only during the period when Nrg1 is gone. The sequential regulation of hyphal development by the activation of the cAMP-PKA pathway and reduced Tor1 signaling provides a molecular mechanism for plasticity of dimorphism and how C. albicans adapts to the varied host environments in pathogenesis. Such temporally linked regulation of promoter chromatin by different signaling pathways provides a unique mechanism for integrating multiple signals during development and cell fate specification