Continuous representability of interval orders: The topological compatibility setting

In this paper, we go further on the problem of the continuous numerical representability of interval orders defined on topological spaces. A new condition of compatibility between the given topology and the indifference associated to the main trace of an interval order is introduced. Provided that this condition is fulfilled, a semiorder has a continuous interval order representation through a pair of continuous real-valued functions. Other necessary and sufficient conditions for the continuous representability of interval orders are also discussed, and, in particular, a characterization is achieved for the particular case of interval orders defined on a topological space of finite support

On the role of triethylene glycol in the preparation of highly active Ni-Mo/Al2O3 hydrodesulfurization catalysts: A spectroscopic study

The interaction of triethylene glycol (TEG) with alumina and its role in preparing improved NiMo/Al2O3 hydrodesulfurization catalysts was investigated by spectroscopic methods. The FT-IR study shows that TEG is mainly adsorbed on the corners and edges of the alumina microcrystals where the strongest Lewis sites and the higher OH frequency hydroxyl groups are mainly located. It is also observed that the Mo O stretching vibration of surface molybdenyl groups in the oxide catalyst precursor is shifted down in the presence of TEG, indicating a lower interaction with the alumina surface. The IR spectra of CO adsorbed on the reduced/sulfided NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts confirm that the amount of promoted phase (NiMoS sites) increases in the samples prepared with TEG. Accordingly, the activity measurements in the HDS of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene show that the catalyst prepared with TEG is more active than the one prepared without it. It is proposed that TEG and its decomposition products, formed upon heating (mainly acetates) occupy preferably the strongly interacting edge and corner sites of the alumina crystals, forcing the Mo and Ni species to migrate mainly to the less reactive plane faces. This weakens the metalsupport interaction allowing a better sulfidation and, at the same time, favoring the Ni\u2013Mo interaction and the formation of the promoted NiMoS phase

Human ApoD, an apolipoprotein up-regulated in neurodegenerative diseases, extends lifespan and increases stress resistance in Drosophila

Apolipoprotein D (ApoD) expression increases in several neurological disorders and in spinal cord injury. We provide a report of a physiological role for human ApoD (hApoD): Flies overexpressing hApoD are long-lived and protected against stress conditions associated with aging and neurodegeneration, including hyperoxia, dietary paraquat, and heat stress. We show that the fly ortholog, Glial Lazarillo, is strongly up-regulated in response to these extrinsic stresses and also can protect in vitro-cultured cells in situations modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In adult flies, hApoD overexpression reduces age-associated lipid peroxide accumulation, suggesting a proximal mechanism of action. Similar data obtained in the mouse [Ganfornina, M.D., et al., (2008) Apolipoprotein D is involved in the mechanisms regulating protection from oxidative stress. Aging Cell 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2008.00395.] as well as in plants (Charron et al., personal communication) suggest that ApoD and its orthologs play an evolutionarily conserved role in response to stress, possibly managing or preventing lipid peroxidation

Loss of AP-3 function affects spontaneous and evoked release at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses

Synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis mediating neurotransmitter release occurs spontaneously at low intraterminal calcium concentrations and is stimulated by a rise in intracellular calcium. Exocytosis is compensated for by the reformation of vesicles at plasma membrane and endosomes. Although the adaptor complex AP-3 was proposed to be involved in the formation of SVs from endosomes, whether its function has an indirect effect on exocytosis remains unknown. Using mocha mice, which are deficient in functional AP-3, we identify an AP-3-dependent tetanus neurotoxin-resistant asynchronous release that can be evoked at hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapses. Presynaptic targeting of the tetanus neurotoxin-resistant vesicle soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) tetanus neurotoxin-insensitive vesicle-associated membrane protein (TI-VAMP) is lost in mocha hippocampal MF terminals, whereas the localization of synaptobrevin 2 is unaffected. In addition, quantal release in mocha cultures is more frequent and more sensitive to sucrose. We conclude that lack of AP-3 results in more constitutive secretion and loss of an asynchronous evoked release component, suggesting an important function of AP-3 in regulating SV exocytosis at MF terminals

Investigating the Role of Prolactin as a Potential Biomarker of Stress in Castrated Male Domestic Dogs

Simple Summary Although cortisol is usually considered the main reference for the assessment of stress, in some animal species it has been shown that prolactin can be used as a biomarker of both acute and chronic stress. Behavioural parameters can also be used to assess the state of welfare and stress. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible relationship between serum prolactin, serum cortisol and behavioural signs of stress in domestic dogs. To reduce the possible influence of some factors, the study was performed on a homogeneous sample formed by 40 castrated male Spanish Greyhound dogs housed in a dog shelter. The weak negative correlation found between serum cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. Prolactin has been recently regarded as a potential biomarker of both acute and chronic stress in several species. Since only few studies until now have focussed on domestic dogs, this study was aimed at evaluating whether prolactin, cortisol and stress behaviour correlated with each other in sheltered dogs. Both cortisol and prolactin analysis were performed in serum samples through a hormone-specific ELISA kit. For each dog, a stress score was calculated by summing the number of occurrences of stress-related behaviours. The presence/absence of fear during the time spent in the collection room was also scored for each individual. Results revealed a weak negative correlation between cortisol and prolactin levels. Neither of the hormones was correlated with the stress score, nor did their values seem to be influenced by showing fear in the collection room. The weak negative correlation found between cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. This, together with the high serum prolactin levels compared to those reported by other authors for healthy domestic dogs, may indicate that prolactin might be a good biomarker of chronic stress, and although further studies are needed to better understand the potential role of prolactin in the evaluation of canine welfare

On acceptance conditions for membrane systems: characterisations of L and NL

In this paper we investigate the affect of various acceptance conditions on recogniser membrane systems without dissolution. We demonstrate that two particular acceptance conditions (one easier to program, the other easier to prove correctness) both characterise the same complexity class, NL. We also find that by restricting the acceptance conditions we obtain a characterisation of L. We obtain these results by investigating the connectivity properties of dependency graphs that model membrane system computations

Does an L-glutamine-containing, Glucose-free, Oral Rehydration Solution Reduce Stool Output and Time to Rehydrate in Children with Acute Diarrhoea? A Double-blind Randomized Clinical Trial

This study assessed whether an oral rehydration solution (ORS) in which glucose is replaced by L-glutamine (L-glutamine ORS) is more effective than the standard glucose-based rehydration solution recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO-ORS) in reducing the stool volume and time to rehydrate in acute diarrhoea. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial in a Mexican hospital, 147 dehydrated children, aged 1-60 month(s), were assigned either to the WHO-ORS (74 children), or to the L-glutamine ORS (73 children) and followed until successful rehydration. There were no significant differences between the groups in stool output during the first four hours, time to successful rehydration, volume of ORS required for rehydration, urinary output, and vomiting. This was independent of rotavirus-associated infection. An L-glutamine-containing glucose-free ORS seems not to offer greater clinical benefit than the standard WHO-ORS in mildly-to-moderately-de\uadhydrated children with acute non-cholera diarrhoea

TP53, ATRX alterations, and low tumor mutation load feature IDH-wildtype giant cell glioblastoma despite exceptional ultra-mutated tumors

Background: Giant cell glioblastoma (gcGBM) is a rare morphological variant of IDH-wildtype (IDHwt) GBM that occurs in young adults and have a slightly better prognosis than "classic" IDHwt GBM. Methods: We studied 36 GBMs, 14 with a histopathological diagnosis of gcGBM and 22 with a giant cell component. We analyzed the genetic profile of the most frequently mutated genes in gliomas and assessed the tumor mutation load (TML) by gene-targeted next-generation sequencing. We validated our findings using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Results: p53 was altered by gene mutation or protein overexpression in all cases, while driver IDH1, IDH2, BRAF, or H3F3A mutations were infrequent or absent. Compared to IDHwt GBMs, gcGBMs had a significant higher frequency of TP53, ATRX, RB1, and NF1 mutations, while lower frequency of EGFR amplification, CDKN2A deletion, and TERT promoter mutation. Almost all tumors had low TML values. The high TML observed in only 2 tumors was consistent with POLE and MSH2 mutations. In the histopathological review of TCGA IDHwt, TP53-mutant tumors identified giant cells in 37% of the cases. Considering our series and that of the TCGA, patients with TP53-mutant gcGBMs had better overall survival than those with TP53wt GBMs (log-rank test, P < .002). Conclusions: gcGBMs have molecular features that contrast to "classic" IDHwt GBMs: unusually frequent ATRX mutations and few EGFR amplifications and CDKN2A deletions, especially in tumors with a high number of giant cells. TML is frequently low, although exceptional high TML suggests a potential for immune checkpoint therapy in some cases, which may be relevant for personalized medicine

A Robust and Biocompatible Bismuth Ellagate MOF Synthesized Under Green Ambient Conditions

The first bioinspired microporous metal-organic framework (MOF) synthesized using ellagic acid, a common natural antioxidant and polyphenol building unit, is presented. Bi2O(H2O)2(C14H2O8)\ub7nH2O (SU-101) was inspired by bismuth phenolate metallodrugs, and could be synthesized entirely from nonhazardous or edible reagents under ambient aqueous conditions, enabling simple scale-up. Reagent-grade and affordable dietary supplement-grade ellagic acid was sourced from tree bark and pomegranate hulls, respectively. Biocompatibility and colloidal stability were confirmed by in vitro assays. The material exhibits remarkable chemical stability for a bioinspired MOF (pH = 2-14, hydrothermal conditions, heated organic solvents, biological media, SO2 and H2S), attributed to the strongly chelating phenolates. A total H2S uptake of 15.95 mmol g-1 was recorded, representing one of the highest H2S capacities for a MOF, where polysulfides are formed inside the pores of the material. Phenolic phytochemicals remain largely unexplored as linkers for MOF synthesis, opening new avenues to design stable, eco-friendly, scalable, and low-cost MOFs for diverse applications, including drug delivery