Analysis of some physiological indicators in tomato plants to characterize the effects of additional lighting with blue, red and white LEDs

The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in vegetable species is one of the technological procedures applied to improve the spectral composition of light in protected areas, as well as to stimulate plant growth, obtaining high values of production and increasing resistance to conditions of culture. The biological material represented by tomato seedlings, from varieties with nutritional value and with high ecological plasticity, was studied in terms of characterizing the effects of applying the treatment using light fields emitted by blue, red and white LEDs, by analysis physiological parameters, such as: photosynthesis intensity (μmols CO2m-2s -1), transpiration intensity (mmoles H2O m-2s -1), stomatal conductance (mols H2O m-2s -1) and intercellular carbon dioxide (mmol CO2 mol-1 air). In this study, the estimation of the amount of total chlorophyll (mg m-2), was also investigated. The determinations of the physiological parameters were performed in 3 series, and the recorded results were statistically analysed, by expressing the significance of the differences between the control and the studied tomato varieties being studied. Thus, after the treatment period, applied in 23 days (Series II), with monochrome LEDs, at the level of the stomatal conductance parameter, statistically assured values were registered for the plants in the ‘L-75’ line exposed to White LED and for those in the ‘L-76’ line exposed to the Blue LED. The analysis of the results from the investigation of the physiological parameters at the level of the leaves from the experimental samples indicated that after 35 days (Series III), from the application of the treatments of 30 minutes/day, with White LED light, they ensured the plants tomatoes from the ‘L-76’ line, distinctly significantly positive values, compared to those of the control plants, at the intensity of photosynthesis and the internal concentration of CO2

Group measure space decomposition of II_1 factors and W*-superrigidity

We prove a "unique crossed product decomposition" result for group measure space II_1 factors arising from arbitrary free ergodic probability measure preserving (p.m.p.) actions of groups \Gamma in a fairly large family G, which contains all free products of a Kazhdan group and a non-trivial group, as well as certain amalgamated free products over an amenable subgroup. We deduce that if T_n denotes the group of upper triangular matrices in PSL(n,Z), then any free, mixing p.m.p. action of the amalgamated free product of PSL(n,Z) with itself over T_n, is W*-superrigid, i.e. any isomorphism between L^\infty(X) \rtimes \Gamma and an arbitrary group measure space factor L^\infty(Y) \rtimes \Lambda, comes from a conjugacy of the actions. We also prove that for many groups \Gamma in the family G, the Bernoulli actions of \Gamma are W*-superrigid.Comment: Final version. Some extra details have been added to improve the expositio

The biocompatibility of titanium in a buffer solution: compared effects of a thin film of TiO2 deposited by MOCVD and of collagen deposited from a gel

This study aims at evaluating the biocompatibility of titanium surfaces modified according two different ways: (i) deposition of a bio-inert, thin film of rutile TiO2 by chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), and (ii) biochemical treatment with collagen gel, in order to obtain a bio-interactive coating. Behind the comparison is the idea that either the bio-inert or the bio-active coating has specific advantages when applied to implant treatment, such as the low price of the collagen treatment for instance. The stability in buffer solution was evaluated by open circuit potential (OCP) for medium time and cyclic voltametry. The OCP stabilized after 5104 min for all the specimens except the collagen treated sample which presented a stable OCP from the first minutes. MOCVD treated samples stabilized to more electropositive values. Numeric results were statistically analysed to obtain the regression equations for long time predictable evolution. The corrosion parameters determined from cyclic curves revealed that the MOCVD treatment is an efficient way to improve corrosion resistance. Human dermal fibroblasts were selected for cell culture tests, taking into account that these cells are present in all bio-interfaces, being the main cellular type of connective tissue. The cells grew on either type of surface without phenotype modification. From the reduction of yellow, water-soluble 3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT cytotoxicity test), MOCVD treated samples offer better viability than mechanically polished Ti and collagen treated samples as well. Cell spreading, as evaluated from microscope images processed by the program Sigma Scan, showed also enhancement upon surface modification. Depending on the experimental conditions, MOCVD deposited TiO2 exhibits different nanostructures that may influence biological behaviour. The results demonstrate the capacity of integration in simulated physiologic liquids for an implant pretreated by either method

Impact of Intermediate Hyperglycemia and Diabetes on Immune Dysfunction in Tuberculosis

Supplementary Data: Supplementary materials are available at Clinical Infectious Diseases online at https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/72/1/69/5857148#274319223 . Consisting of data provided by the authors to benefit the reader, the posted materials are not copyedited and are the sole responsibility of the authors, so questions or comments should be addressed to the corresponding author.Copyright © The Author(s) 2020. Background: People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) and are more likely to have poor TB-treatment outcomes, which may impact on control of TB as the prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. Blood transcriptomes are altered in patients with active TB relative to healthy individuals. The effects of diabetes and intermediate hyperglycemia (IH) on this transcriptomic signature were investigated to enhance understanding of immunological susceptibility in diabetes-TB comorbidity. Methods: Whole blood samples were collected from active TB patients with diabetes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥6.5%) or IH (HbA1c = 5.7% to <6.5%), TB-only patients, and healthy controls in 4 countries: South Africa, Romania, Indonesia, and Peru. Differential blood gene expression was determined by RNA-seq (n = 249). Results: Diabetes increased the magnitude of gene expression change in the host transcriptome in TB, notably showing an increase in genes associated with innate inflammatory and decrease in adaptive immune responses. Strikingly, patients with IH and TB exhibited blood transcriptomes much more similar to patients with diabetes-TB than to patients with only TB. Both diabetes-TB and IH-TB patients had a decreased type I interferon response relative to TB-only patients. Conclusions: Comorbidity in individuals with both TB and diabetes is associated with altered transcriptomes, with an expected enhanced inflammation in the presence of both conditions, but also reduced type I interferon responses in comorbid patients, suggesting an unexpected uncoupling of the TB transcriptome phenotype. These immunological dysfunctions are also present in individuals with IH, showing that altered immunity to TB may also be present in this group. The TB disease outcomes in individuals with IH diagnosed with TB should be investigated further.European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7 2007-2013 - Health) under grant agreement No 305279

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to &lt;90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], &gt;300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of &lt;15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P&lt;0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P&lt;0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Hydrophobic Carbonate Coatings on Pure Biodegradable Mg by Immersion in Carbonated Water: Formation Mechanism

Mg is one of the few materials of choice for biodegradable implants, despite its rapid degradation when used without surface protection treatment. This study presents the effect of carbonation time on the formation of hydrophobic carbonate coatings grown on pure magnesium using a simple, green chemical conversion method in carbonated water. The evolution of the coating with immersion time in carbonating solution was studied in order to ascertain the mechanistic of coating formation by Raman and EDS spectroscopy, XRD, SEM and AFM microscopy. Wettability was investigated by contact angle measurements. The formation mechanism of the hydrophobic coating involves the surface nucleation of carbonates mediated by the dissolution of the native corrosion product, brucite Mg(OH)2, surface conversion into hydroxycarbonates, surface calcite nucleation and growth by attachment of nanoparticles, leading to the lateral growth of a continuous carbonate coating layer of intertwined calcite microcrystals

Hydrophobic Carbonate Coatings on Pure Biodegradable Mg by Immersion in Carbonated Water: Formation Mechanism

Mg is one of the few materials of choice for biodegradable implants, despite its rapid degradation when used without surface protection treatment. This study presents the effect of carbonation time on the formation of hydrophobic carbonate coatings grown on pure magnesium using a simple, green chemical conversion method in carbonated water. The evolution of the coating with immersion time in carbonating solution was studied in order to ascertain the mechanistic of coating formation by Raman and EDS spectroscopy, XRD, SEM and AFM microscopy. Wettability was investigated by contact angle measurements. The formation mechanism of the hydrophobic coating involves the surface nucleation of carbonates mediated by the dissolution of the native corrosion product, brucite Mg(OH)2, surface conversion into hydroxycarbonates, surface calcite nucleation and growth by attachment of nanoparticles, leading to the lateral growth of a continuous carbonate coating layer of intertwined calcite microcrystals