Greening an experiment for environmental chemistry: H2S capture with elemental recovery

An experiment is presented to demonstrate the production, capture, and electrochemical remediation of H2S in a closed syringe-based system. Final products are its pure constituent elements. This experiment is suitable for an environmental chemistry laboratory and it can be completed in 3- 4 h

Validation of four automatic devices for self-measurement of blood pressure according to the international protocol of the European Society of Hypertension

Jirar Topouchian1, Davide Agnoletti1, Jacques Blacher1, Ahmed Youssef1, Isabel Ibanez2,3, Jose Khabouth2, Salwa Khawaja2, Layale Beaino2, Roland Asmar1–31Centre de Diagnostic, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France; 2Hôpital Libanais and Faculté Libanaise de Médecine, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Foundation-Medical Research Institutes, Geneva, SwitzerlandBackground: Four oscillometric devices for self-measurement of blood pressure (SBPM) were evaluated according to the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) international protocol and its 2010 revision in four separate studies. The Omron® M2, Omron M3, and Omron M6 measure blood pressure (BP) at the brachial level, while the Omron R2 measures BP at the wrist level.Methods: The international protocol requires a total number of 33 subjects in which the validation is performed. The Omron M2 and Omron R2 were validated in 2009 according to the ESH international protocol, while the Omron M3 and Omron M6 were validated in 2010–2011 according to the 2010 ESH international protocol revision. The protocol procedures were followed precisely.Results: All four tested devices passed the validation process. The mean differences between the device and mercury readings were 2.7 ± 5.0 and –1.4 ± 3.2 mmHg for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively, using the Omron M2 device, and 1.7 ± 3.2 and –0.9 ± 2.6 mmHg using the Omron M3, 1.6 ± 2.9 and -0.9 ± 2.5 mmHg using the Omron M6, and –1.1 ± 4.8 and –0.9 ± 4.3 mmHg using the Omron R2.Conclusion: Readings from the Omron M2, Omron M3, Omron M6, and Omron R2, differing by less than 5, 10, and 15 mmHg, fulfill the ESH international protocol and its 2010 revision requirements. Therefore, each of these four devices can be used by patients for SBPM.Keywords: Omron R2, M2, M3, M6, blood pressure measurement, validation, international protocol, European Society of Hypertensio

Assessment of a pilot solar V-trough reactor for solar water disinfection

Rural and isolated communities of low-income countries suffer the lack of access to safe drinking water. Harvested rainwater (HRW) is becoming an alternative source of freshwater in many areas of the world. Nevertheless, its quality usually doesn’t meet drinking water standards, posing a health risk for human consumption. Solar water disinfection – SODIS – is a low-cost household intervention used to disinfect water. In this work, we investigate a new solar photoreactor based on V-trough mirrors as alternative to the most used Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC) geometry at pilot scale (54 and 32 L per batch), with the aim of reducing costs and reactor surface’s footprint. An experimental assessment of two key parameters as water recirculation and mirror geometry was carried out. For this study several water-pathogens commonly found in HRW were used, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enteritidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Best results were obtained with the V-trough reactor in static condition, where>5-LRV (log-reduction value) for all bacteria tested were reached with asolar-UVA dose of254 kJm−2 (90min). Atthis operational condition, a total volume of 162 L(3 batches) of waterwere treated inone full sunny day in Spain(300 min ofeffectivetreatment time). A comparison between CPC and V-trough mirrors resulted in similar disinfection efficiencies even if the actinometric results showed that CPC collects 1.58 times more photon flux than the V-trough in the solar-UVA region. These results show the great performance of the V-trough mirror for this application, which is cheaper to produce than CPC and permits treating higher amounts (66% more) of water for the same collector area and same treatment time

High-pressure Raman scattering in wurtzite indium nitride

Copyright (2011) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.We perform Raman-scattering measurements at high hydrostatic pressures on c-face and a-face InN layers to investigate the high-pressure behavior of the zone-center optical phonons of wurtzite InN. Linear pressure coefficients and mode Grneisen parameters are obtained, and the experimental results are compared with theoretical values obtained from ab initio lattice-dynamical calculations. Good agreement is found between the experimental and calculated results. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.Work supported by the Spanish MICINN (Projects MAT2010-16116, MAT2008-06873-C02-02, MAT2010-21270-C04-04, and CSD2007-00045), the Catalan Government (BE-DG 2009), and the Spanish Council for Research (PIE2009-CSIC).Ibanez, J.; Manjón Herrera, FJ.; Segura, A.; Oliva, R.; Cusco, R.; Vilaplana Cerda, RI.; Yamaguchi, T.... (2011). High-pressure Raman scattering in wurtzite indium nitride. Applied Physics Letters. 99:119081-119083. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3609327S11908111908399Veal, T., McConville, C., & Schaff, W. (Eds.). (2009). Indium Nitride and Related Alloys. doi:10.1201/9781420078107Gallinat, C. S., Koblmüller, G., Brown, J. S., Bernardis, S., Speck, J. S., Chern, G. D., … Wraback, M. (2006). In-polar InN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Applied Physics Letters, 89(3), 032109. doi:10.1063/1.2234274Li, S. X., Wu, J., Haller, E. E., Walukiewicz, W., Shan, W., Lu, H., & Schaff, W. J. (2003). Hydrostatic pressure dependence of the fundamental bandgap of InN and In-rich group III nitride alloys. Applied Physics Letters, 83(24), 4963-4965. doi:10.1063/1.1633681Gorczyca, I., Plesiewicz, J., Dmowski, L., Suski, T., Christensen, N. E., Svane, A., … Speck, J. S. (2008). Electronic structure and effective masses of InN under pressure. Journal of Applied Physics, 104(1), 013704. doi:10.1063/1.2953094Domènech-Amador, N., Cuscó, R., Artús, L., Yamaguchi, T., & Nanishi, Y. (2011). Raman scattering study of anharmonic phonon decay in InN. Physical Review B, 83(24). doi:10.1103/physrevb.83.245203Serrano, J., Bosak, A., Krisch, M., Manjón, F. J., Romero, A. H., Garro, N., … Kuball, M. (2011). InN Thin Film Lattice Dynamics by Grazing Incidence Inelastic X-Ray Scattering. Physical Review Letters, 106(20). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.106.205501Pinquier, C., Demangeot, F., Frandon, J., Pomeroy, J. W., Kuball, M., Hubel, H., … Gil, B. (2004). Raman scattering in hexagonal InN under high pressure. Physical Review B, 70(11). doi:10.1103/physrevb.70.113202Pinquier, C., Demangeot, F., Frandon, J., Chervin, J.-C., Polian, A., Couzinet, B., … Maleyre, B. (2006). Raman scattering study of wurtzite and rocksalt InN under high pressure. Physical Review B, 73(11). doi:10.1103/physrevb.73.115211Yao, L. D., Luo, S. D., Shen, X., You, S. J., Yang, L. X., Zhang, S. J., … Xie, S. S. (2010). Structural stability and Raman scattering of InN nanowires under high pressure. Journal of Materials Research, 25(12), 2330-2335. doi:10.1557/jmr.2010.0290Cuscó, R., Ibáñez, J., Alarcón-Lladó, E., Artús, L., Yamaguchi, T., & Nanishi, Y. (2009). Raman scattering study of the long-wavelength longitudinal-optical-phonon–plasmon coupled modes in high-mobility InN layers. Physical Review B, 79(15). doi:10.1103/physrevb.79.155210Wagner, J.-M., & Bechstedt, F. (2003). First-principles study of phonon-mode softening under pressure: the case of GaN and AlN. physica status solidi (b), 235(2), 464-469. doi:10.1002/pssb.200301603Weinstein, B. A. (1977). Phonon dispersion of zinc chalcogenides under extreme pressure and the metallic transformation. Solid State Communications, 24(9), 595-598. doi:10.1016/0038-1098(77)90369-6Yakovenko, E. V., Gauthier, M., & Polian, A. (2004). High-pressure behavior of the bond-bending mode of AIN. Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, 98(5), 981-985. doi:10.1134/1.1767565Reparaz, J. S., Muniz, L. R., Wagner, M. R., Goñi, A. R., Alonso, M. I., Hoffmann, A., & Meyer, B. K. (2010). Reduction of the transverse effective charge of optical phonons in ZnO under pressure. Applied Physics Letters, 96(23), 231906. doi:10.1063/1.3447798Perlin, P., Jauberthie-Carillon, C., Itie, J. P., San Miguel, A., Grzegory, I., & Polian, A. (1992). Raman scattering and x-ray-absorption spectroscopy in gallium nitride under high pressure. Physical Review B, 45(1), 83-89. doi:10.1103/physrevb.45.83Manjón, F. J., Errandonea, D., Romero, A. H., Garro, N., Serrano, J., & Kuball, M. (2008). Lattice dynamics of wurtzite and rocksalt AlN under high pressure: Effect of compression on the crystal anisotropy of wurtzite-type semiconductors. Physical Review B, 77(20). doi:10.1103/physrevb.77.205204Jephcoat, A. P., Hemley, R. J., Mao, H. K., Cohen, R. E., & Mehl, M. J. (1988). Raman spectroscopy and theoretical modeling of BeO at high pressure. Physical Review B, 37(9), 4727-4734. doi:10.1103/physrevb.37.4727Ibáñez, J., Segura, A., Manjón, F. J., Artús, L., Yamaguchi, T., & Nanishi, Y. (2010). Electronic structure of wurtzite and rocksalt InN investigated by optical absorption under hydrostatic pressure. Applied Physics Letters, 96(20), 201903. doi:10.1063/1.3431291Goñi, A. R., Siegle, H., Syassen, K., Thomsen, C., & Wagner, J.-M. (2001). Effect of pressure on optical phonon modes and transverse effective charges inGaNandAlN. Physical Review B, 64(3). doi:10.1103/physrevb.64.03520

Transcriptional epigenetic regulation of Fkbp1/Pax9 genes is associated with impaired sensitivity to platinum treatment in ovarian cancer

Background: In an effort to contribute to overcoming the platinum resistance exhibited by most solid tumors, we performed an array of epigenetic approaches, integrating next-generation methodologies and public clinical data to identify new potential epi-biomarkers in ovarian cancer, which is considered the most devastating of gynecological malignancies. Methods: We cross-analyzed data from methylome assessments and restoration of gene expression through microarray expression in a panel of four paired cisplatin-sensitive/cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines, along with publicly available clinical data from selected individuals representing the state of chemoresistance. We validated the methylation state and expression levels of candidate genes in each cellular phenotype through Sanger sequencing and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. We tested the biological role of selected targets using an ectopic expression plasmid assay in the sensitive/resistant tumor cell lines, assessing the cell viability in the transfected groups. Epigenetic features were also assessed in 189 primary samples obtained from ovarian tumors and controls. Results: We identified PAX9 and FKBP1B as potential candidate genes, which exhibited epigenetic patterns of expression regulation in the experimental approach. Re-establishment of FKBP1B expression in the resistant OVCAR3 phenotype in which this gene is hypermethylated and inhibited allowed it to achieve a degree of platinum sensitivity similar to the sensitive phenotype. The evaluation of these genes at a translational level revealed that PAX9 hypermethylation leads to a poorer prognosis in terms of overall survival. We also set a precedent for establishing a common epigenetic signature in which the validation of a single candidate, MEST, proved the accuracy of our computational pipelines. Conclusions: Epigenetic regulation of PAX9 and FKBP1B genes shows that methylation in non-promoter areas has the potential to control gene expression and thus biological consequences, such as the loss of platinum sensitivity. At the translational level, PAX9 behaves as a predictor of chemotherapy response to platinum in patients with ovarian cancer. This study revealed the importance of the transcript-specific study of each gene under potential epigenetic regulation, which would favor the identification of new markers capable of predicting each patient’s progression and therapeutic response.The study was financially supported by FIS (ISCIII) and ERDF/FSE funds (PI15/00186, PI18/0050, and ERDF/FSE, A way to make Europe). The authors gratefully acknowledge the Colombian Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation (MINCIENCIAS), Code 568-2012, for providing J.S. with partial funding for this study

Ligand diversity contributes to the full activation of the jasmonate pathway in Marchantia polymorpha

In plants, jasmonate signaling regulates a wide range of processes from growth and development to defense responses and thermotolerance. Jasmonates, such as jasmonic acid (JA), (+)-7-iso-jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine (JA-Ile), 12-oxo-10,15(Z)-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), and dinor-12-oxo-10,15(Z)-phytodienoic acid (dn-OPDA), are derived from C18 (18 Carbon atoms) and C16 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are found ubiquitously in the plant kingdom. Bryophytes are also rich in C20 and C22 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), which are found only at low levels in some vascular plants but are abundant in organisms of other kingdoms, including animals. The existence of bioactive jasmonates derived from LCPUFAs is currently unknown. Here, we describe the identification of an OPDA-like molecule derived from a C20 fatty acid (FA) in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha (Mp), which we term (5Z,8Z)-10-(4-oxo-5-((Z)-pent-2-en-1-yl)cyclopent-2-en-1-yl)deca-5,8-dienoic acid (C20-OPDA). This molecule accumulates upon wounding and, when applied exogenously, can activate known Coronatine Insensitive 1 (COI1) -dependent and -independent jasmonate responses. Furthermore, we identify a dn-OPDA-like molecule (Δ4-dn-OPDA) deriving from C20-OPDA and demonstrate it to be a ligand of the jasmonate coreceptor (MpCOI1-Mp Jasmonate-Zinc finger inflorescence meristem domain [MpJAZ]) in Marchantia. By analyzing mutants impaired in the production of LCPUFAs, we elucidate the major biosynthetic pathway of C20-OPDA and Δ4-dn-OPDA. Moreover, using a double mutant compromised in the production of both Δ4-dn-OPDA and dn-OPDA, we demonstrate the additive nature of these molecules in the activation of jasmonate responses. Taken together, our data identify a ligand of MpCOI1 and demonstrate LCPUFAs as a source of bioactive jasmonates that are essential to the immune response of M. polymorpha.Peer reviewe

Integrative miRNA and Gene Expression Profiling Analysis of Human Quiescent Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Unveiling the regulatory pathways maintaining hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in a quiescent (q) phenotype is essential to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat fibrogenic diseases. To uncover the miRNA-mRNA regulatory interactions in qHSCs, HSCs were FACS-sorted from healthy livers and activated HSCs (aHSCs) were generated in vitro. MiRNA Taqman array analysis showed HSCs expressed a low number of miRNAs (n = 259), from which 47 were down-regulated and 212 up-regulated upon activation. Computational integration of miRNA and gene expression profiles revealed that 66% of qHSC-associated miRNAs correlated with more than 6 altered target mRNAs (17,28 ± 10,7 targets/miRNA) whereas aHSC-associated miRNAs had an average of 1,49 targeted genes. Interestingly, interaction networks generated by miRNA-targeted genes in qHSCs were associated with key HSC activation processes. Next, selected miRNAs were validated in healthy and cirrhotic human livers and miR-192 was chosen for functional analysis. Down-regulation of miR-192 in HSCs was found to be an early event during fibrosis progression in mouse models of liver injury. Moreover, mimic assays for miR-192 in HSCs revealed its role in HSC activation, proliferation and migration. Together, these results uncover the importance of miRNAs in the maintenance of the qHSC phenotype and form the basis for understanding the regulatory networks in HSCs

Gene co-expression architecture in peripheral blood in a cohort of remitted first-episode schizophrenia patients

A better understanding of schizophrenia subtypes is necessary to stratify the patients according to clinical attributes. To explore the genomic architecture of schizophrenia symptomatology, we analyzed blood co-expression modules and their association with clinical data from patients in remission after a first episode of schizophrenia. In total, 91 participants of the 2EPS project were included. Gene expression was assessed using the Clariom S Human Array. Weighted-gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify modules of co-expressed genes and to test its correlation with global functioning, clinical symptomatology, and premorbid adjustment. Among the 25 modules identified, six modules were significantly correlated with clinical data. These modules could be clustered in two groups according to their correlation with clinical data. Hub genes in each group showing overlap with risk genes for schizophrenia were enriched in biological processes related to metabolic processes, regulation of gene expression, cellular localization and protein transport, immune processes, and neurotrophin pathways. Our results indicate that modules with significant associations with clinical data showed overlap with gene sets previously identified in differential gene-expression analysis in brain, indicating that peripheral tissues could reveal pathogenic mechanisms. Hub genes involved in these modules revealed multiple signaling pathways previously related to schizophrenia, which may represent the complex interplay in the pathological mechanisms behind the disease. These genes could represent potential targets for the development of peripheral biomarkers underlying illness traits in clinical remission stages after a first episode of schizophrenia

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 in dementia across Latin America : A call for an urgent regional plan and coordinated response

The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic will disproportionately impact countries with weak economies and vulnerable populations including people with dementia. Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) are burdened with unstable economic development, fragile health systems, massive economic disparities, and a high prevalence of dementia. Here, we underscore the selective impact of SARS-CoV-2 on dementia among LACs, the specific strain on health systems devoted to dementia, and the subsequent effect of increasing inequalities among those with dementia in the region. Implementation of best practices for mitigation and containment faces particularly steep challenges in LACs. Based upon our consideration of these issues, we urgently call for a coordinated action plan, including the development of inexpensive mass testing and multilevel regional coordination for dementia care and related actions. Brain health diplomacy should lead to a shared and escalated response across the region, coordinating leadership, and triangulation between governments and international multilateral networks

A Neutrophil Timer Coordinates Immune Defense and Vascular Protection

Neutrophils eliminate pathogens efficiently but can inflict severe damage to the host if they over-activate within blood vessels. It is unclear how immunity solves the dilemma of mounting an efficient anti-microbial defense while preserving vascular health. Here, we identify a neutrophil-intrinsic program that enabled both. The gene Bmal1 regulated expression of the chemokine CXCL2 to induce chemokine receptor CXCR2-dependent diurnal changes in the transcriptional and migratory properties of circulating neutrophils. These diurnal alterations, referred to as neutrophil aging, were antagonized by CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4) and regulated the outer topology of neutrophils to favor homeostatic egress from blood vessels at night, resulting in boosted anti-microbial activity in tissues. Mice engineered for constitutive neutrophil aging became resistant to infection, but the persistence of intravascular aged neutrophils predisposed them to thrombo-inflammation and death. Thus, diurnal compartmentalization of neutrophils, driven by an internal timer, coordinates immune defense and vascular protection.We thank all members of the Hidalgo Lab for discussion and insightful comments; J.M. Ligos, R. Nieto, and M. Viton for help with sorting and cytometric analyses; I. Ortega and E. Santos for animal husbandry; D. Rico, M.J. Gomez, C. Torroja, and F. Sanchez-Cabo for insightful comments and help with transcriptomic analyses; V. Labrador, E. Arza, A.M. Santos, and the Microscopy Unit of the CNIC for help with microscopy; S. Aznar-Benitah, U. Albrecht, Q.-J. Meng, B. Staels, and H. Duez for the generous gift of mice; J.A. Enriquez and J. Avila for scientific insights; and J.M. Garcia and A. Diez de la Cortina for art. This study was supported by Intramural grants from A* STAR to L.G.N., BES-2013-065550 to J.M.A., BES-2010-032828 to M.C.-A, and JCI-2012-14147 to L.A.W (all from Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad; MEIC). Additional MEIC grants were SAF2014-61993-EXP to C.L.-R.; SAF2015-68632-R to M.A.M. and SAF-2013-42920R and SAF2016-79040Rto D.S. D.S. also received 635122-PROCROP H2020 from the European Commission and ERC CoG 725091 from the European Research Council (ERC). ERC AdG 692511 PROVASC from the ERC and SFB1123-A1 from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft were given to C.W.; MHA VD1.2/81Z1600212 from the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) was given to C.W. and O.S.; SFB1123-A6 was given to O.S.; SFB914-B08 was given to O.S. and C.W.; and INST 211/604-2, ZA 428/12-1, and ZA 428/13-1 were given to A.Z. This study was also supported by PI12/00494 from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS) to C.M.; PI13/01979, Cardiovascular Network grant RD 12/0042/0054, and CIBERCV to B.I.; SAF2015-65607-R, SAF2013-49662-EXP, and PCIN-2014-103 from MEIC; and co-funding by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) to A.H. The CNIC is supported by the MEIC and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (MEIC award SEV-2015-0505).S