Extremal structure and Samuel compactification

AbstractLet M be a uniform space and X the Banach space of bounded and uniformly continuous functions from M into R, provided with its supremum norm.The aim of this paper is to discuss the connection between the geometry of X and the nature of M. In particular, we will prove that certain reconstructions of the unit ball of X by means of its extreme points admit a translation in terms of extension of uniformly continuous functions. We also analyze the impact of these properties on the Samuel compactification of M

IL-2-Mediated In Vivo Expansion of Regulatory T Cells Combined with CD154-CD40 Co-Stimulation Blockade but Not CTLA-4 Ig Prolongs Allograft Survival in Naive and Sensitized Mice.

In recent years, regulatory T cells (Treg)-based immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy to promote operational tolerance after solid organ transplantation (SOT). However, a main hurdle for the therapeutic use of Treg in transplantation is their low frequency, particularly in non-lymphopenic hosts. We aimed to expand Treg directly in vivo and determine their efficacy in promoting donor-specific tolerance, using a stringent experimental model. Administration of the IL-2/JES6-1 immune complex at the time of transplantation resulted in significant expansion of donor-specific Treg, which suppressed alloreactive T cells. IL-2-mediated Treg expansion in combination with short-term CD154-CD40 co-stimulation blockade, but not CTLA-4 Ig or rapamycin, led to tolerance to MHC-mismatched skin grafts in non-lymphopenic mice, mainly by hindering alloreactive CD8(+) effector T cells and the production of alloantibodies. Importantly, this treatment also allowed prolonged survival of allografts in the presence of either donor-specific or cross-reactive memory cells. However, late rejection occurred in sensitized hosts, partly mediated by activated B cells. Overall, these data illustrate the potential but also some important limitations of Treg-based therapy in clinical SOT as well as the importance of concomitant immunomodulatory strategies in particular in sensitized hosts

Background field method at finite temperature and density

In this letter we make use of the Background Field Method (BFM) to compute the effective potential of an SU(2) gauge field theory, in the presence of chemical potential and temperature. The main idea is to consider the chemical potential as the background field. The gauge fixing condition required by the BFM turns out to be exactly the one we found in a previous article in a different context.Comment: 6 pages, no figure

Identification of anthocyanin pigments in strawberry (cv Camarosa) by LC using DAD and ESI-MS detection

New high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) conditions were developed for the separation of strawberry anthocyanins that provided a good resolution of peaks at a low flow rate compatible with the requirements of the mass spectrometry (MS) detector. A strawberry extract was fractionated by column chromatography and simple fractions containing basically anthocyanins were obtained, making their analysis by HPLC possible using on-line photodiode array detection and MS. Information on the identity of the major and some secondary anthocyanins in strawberry was obtained froth their retention characteristics, UV-visible spectra and mass spectra. The presence in strawberry of the previously reported cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-rutinoside and pelargonidin 3-acetylglucoside was confirmed and cyanidin 3-rutinoside was identified in strawberry for the first time. Furthermore, cyanidin 3-malonyldiglucoside, pelargonidin 3-malylglucoside, a pelargonidin bioside and two possible pelargonidin 3-biosides acylated with acetic acid were also tentatively assigned.Comissão Europeia (Fundo Social Europeu) e Governo Português através do Programa PRODEP (III) - ref.ª 5.3/N/199.006/00-Doutoramento

In Vivo insulin-dependent glucose uptake of specific tissues is decreased during aging of mature wistar rats

Copyright (1997) The Endocrine Society .The paper can be found at the following URL on the website http://endo.endojournals.org

Listado de especies de peces (excluyendo túnidos) capturadas de forma accesoria por la flota de cerco tropical española en el área ICCAT

El objetivo principal del presente estudio es mostrar una lista verificada de las capturas accesorias de peces (excluidas las especies de túnidos) por parte de la flota española de cerco tropical en el área de ICCAT. Se ha identificado un total de 76 especies de peces (excluidas las especies de túnidos) durante el período de estudio (2003-2017). También se han identificado dos taxones que necesitan confirmación (Kajikia audax y Makaira mazara)

Modeling the transition from decompensated to pathological hypertrophy

Background--Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSL) catalyze the conversion of long-chain fatty acids to fatty acyl-CoAs. Cardiac-specific ACSL1 temporal knockout at 2 months results in a shift from FA oxidation toward glycolysis that promotes mTORC1-mediated ventricular hypertrophy. We used unbiased metabolomics and gene expression analyses to examine the early effects of genetic inactivation of fatty acid oxidation on cardiac metabolism, hypertrophy development, and function. Methods and Results--Global cardiac transcriptional analysis revealed differential expression of genes involved in cardiac metabolism, fibrosis, and hypertrophy development in Acsl1 H-/- hearts 2 weeks after Acsl1 ablation. Comparison of the 2- and 10-week transcriptional responses uncovered 137 genes whose expression was uniquely changed upon knockdown of cardiac ACSL1, including the distinct upregulation of fibrosis genes, a phenomenon not observed after complete ACSL1 knockout. Metabolomic analysis identified metabolites altered in hearts displaying partially reduced ACSL activity, and rapamycin treatment normalized the cardiac metabolomic fingerprint. Conclusions--Short-term cardiac-specific ACSL1 inactivation resulted in metabolic and transcriptional derangements distinct from those observed upon complete ACSL1 knockout, suggesting heart-specific mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling that occurs during the early stages of substrate switching. The hypertrophy observed with partial Acsl1 ablation occurs in the context of normal cardiac function and is reminiscent of a physiological process, making this a useful model to study the transition from physiological to pathological hypertrophy

Early Response to Dehydration 7 Remodels Cell Membrane Lipid Composition During Cold Stress in Arabidopsis

Plants adjust to unfavorable conditions by altering physiological activities such as gene expression. Although previous studies have identified multiple stress-induced genes, the function of many genes during the stress responses remains unclear. Expression of ERD7 (Early Response to Dehydration 7) is induced in response to dehydration. Here, we show that ERD7 plays essential roles in both plant stress responses and development. In Arabidopsis, ERD7 protein accumulated under various stress conditions including exposure to low temperature. A triple mutant of Arabidopsis lacking ERD7 and two closely-related homologs had an embryonic lethal phenotype, whereas a mutant lacking the two homologs and one ERD7 allele had relatively round leaves, indicating that the ERD7 gene family has essential roles in development. Moreover, the importance of the ERD7 family in stress responses was evidenced by the susceptibility of the mutant lines to cold stress. ERD7 protein was found to bind to several, but not all, negatively charged phospholipids, and was associated with membranes. Lipid components and cold-induced reduction of PIP2 in the mutant line were altered relative to wild type. Furthermore, membranes from the mutant line had reduced fluidity. Taken together, ERD7 and its homologs are important for plant stress responses and development and associated with modification of membrane lipid composition

An alternative index of abundance for Atlantic skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) based on catch ratio and abundance of a reference species.

Indices of abundance, frequently based on catch rates per unit effort (CPUE), are one of the main inputs to tropical tuna stock assessments. While standardized longline CPUE series are routinely obtained and used in the stock assessments of yellowfin and bigeye tunas, the standardization of the effort in fisheries targeting skipjack tuna is more problematic, due to several factors that are known to affect the efficiency of the fleets but are difficult to quantify. In this scenario, alternative approaches need to be tested. In this document, we propose an alternative approach based on the ratio in the catch of skipjack vs yellowfin tuna, using the abundance of the reference species as an offset in the standardization.En prens