Early urinary biomarkers of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus show involvement of kallikrein-kinin system

Abstract Background Additional urinary biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy (DN) are needed, providing early and reliable diagnosis and new insights into its mechanisms. Rigorous selection criteria and homogeneous study population may improve reproducibility of the proteomic approach. Methods Long-term type 1 diabetes patients without metabolic comorbidities were included, 11 with sustained microalbuminuria (MA) and 14 without MA (nMA). Morning urine proteins were precipitated and resolved by 2D electrophoresis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Projection to latent structures discriminatory analysis (PLS-DA) were adopted to assess general data validity, to pick protein fractions for identification with mass spectrometry (MS), and to test predictive value of the resulting model. Results Proteins (n = 113) detected in more than 90% patients were considered representative. Unsupervised PCA showed excellent natural data clustering without outliers. Protein spots reaching Variable Importance in Projection score above 1 in PLS (n = 42) were subjected to MS, yielding 33 positive identifications. The PLS model rebuilt with these proteins achieved accurate classification of all patients (R2X = 0.553, R2Y = 0.953, Q2 = 0.947). Thus, multiple earlier recognized biomarkers of DN were confirmed and several putative new biomarkers suggested. Among them, the highest significance was met in kininogen-1. Its activation products detected in nMA patients exceeded by an order of magnitude the amount found in MA patients. Conclusions Reducing metabolic complexity of the diseased and control groups by meticulous patients’ selection allows to focus the biomarker search in DN. Suggested new biomarkers, particularly kininogen fragments, exhibit the highest degree of correlation with MA and substantiate validation in larger and more varied cohorts

Number Concentrations and Modal Structure of Indoor/Outdoor Fine Particles in Four European Cities

Indoor/outdoor aerosol size distribution was measured in four European cities (Oslo-Norway, Prague-Czech Republic, Milan-Italy and Athens-Greece) during 2002 in order to examine the differences in the characteristics of the indoor/outdoor modal structure and to evaluate the effect of indoor sources to the aerosol size distributions. All the measurement sites were naturally ventilated and were occupied during the campaigns by permanent residents or for certain time periods by the technical staff responsible for the instrumentation. Outdoor particle number (PN) concentrations presented the higher values in Milan and Athens (median values 1.4 x 10(4) # cm(-3) and 2.9 x 10(4) # cm(-3) respectively) as a result of elevated outdoor emissions and led to correspondingly higher indoor values compared to Oslo and Prague. In absence of indoor activities, the indoor concentrations followed the fluctuations of the outdoor concentrations in all the measurement sites. Indoor activities (cooking, smoking, etc.) resulted in elevated indoor PN concentrations (maximum values ranging between 1.7 x 10(5) # cm(-3) and 3.2 x 10(5) # cm(-3)) and to I/O ratios higher than one. The I/O ratios were size dependant and for periods without indoor activities, they presented the lowest values for particles <50 nm (0.51 +/- 0.15) and the ratios increased with fine particle size (0.79 +/- 0.12 for particles between 100-200 nm). The analysis of the modal structure showed that the indoor aerosol size distribution characteristics differ from the outdoors under the effect of indoor sources. The percentage of unimodal size distributions increased during indoor emissions, compared to periods without indoor sources, along with the number concentration of Aitken mode particles, indicating emissions in specific size ranges according to the type of the indoor source.Peer reviewe

A new lizard from Iran, Eremias (Eremias) lalezharica sp.n. (Reptilia: Lacertilia: Lacertidae)

Volume: 45Start Page: 61End Page: 6

NEW RECORDS OF TIGER BEETLES FROM NEW ZEALAND WITH TAXONOMIC AND NOMENCLATURAL NOTES ON THE GENUS NEOCICINDELA (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)

The present paper deals with several new faunistic data and remarks on the taxonomy and nomenclature of the New Zealand endemic genus Neocicindela Rivalier, 1963, based on examination of type specimens of several taxa. N. novaseelandica (W. Horn, 1892) comb. nov. is restored as an independent species closely related to but well separated from N. helmsi (Sharp, 1886). Field photographs, as well as those of type specimens and some of their characters are given

Two new species of Phrynopus (Anura, Strabomantidae) from high elevations in the Yanachaga-Chemillén National park in Peru (Departamento de Pasco)

We describe two new species of Phrynopus from a cloud forest of the Cordillera Yanachaga, Yanachaga-Chemillén National Park in Peru and describe and document the first clutch and case of parental care for a species of Phrynopus. One of the new species of Phrynopus is described based on two females (SVL 19.1–21.0 mm) which were found in leaf litter and moss layer in a cloud forest at 2900 m elevation. This new species is most similar to Phrynopus bracki. The second new species of Phrynopus was found in the transitional formation between cloud forest and wet puna at 3000 m elevation. Its description is based on a single female (SVL 20.7 mm) that was observed guarding nine eggs under moss. This new species is most similar to Phrynopus nicoleae. The eggs had a diameter of 5.7–5.8 mm (n = 3) and froglets when hatched a SVL of 6.2–6.5 mm (n = 3). Sympatric anurans include Gastrotheca sp., Pristimantis aniptopalmatus, P. bromeliaceus, Pristimantis sp., and Rhinella yanachaga

Assessment the Partial Welding Influences on Fatigue Life of S700MC Steel Fillet Welds

Fine-grained steels belonging to the HSLA group (High-Strength Low-Alloy steels) of steels are becoming increasingly popular and are used in both statically and dynamically stressed structures. Due to the method of their production, and thus also the method use to obtain the required mechanical properties, it is really necessary to limit the heat input values for these steels during welding. When applying temperature cycles, HSLA steels in highly heated heat-affected zones (HAZ) reveal intensive grain coarsening and also softening behaviour. This subsequently results in changes in both mechanical and brittle-fracture properties, and the fatigue life of welded joints. While grain coarsening and structure softening have a major effect on the change of strength properties and KCV (Charpy V-notch impact toughness) values of statically stressed welded joints, the effect of these changes on the fatigue life of cyclically stressed welded joints has not yet been quantified. The paper is therefore conceived so as to make it possible to assess and determine the percentage impact of individual aspects of the welding process on changes in their fatigue life. To be more specific, the partial effects of angular deformation, changes that occur in the HAZ of weld, and the notch effect due to weld geometry are assessed

A new species of Dendropsophus (Anura, Hylidae) from southwestern Amazonia with a green bilobate vocal sac

Recent studies have shown that species diversity of the South American frog genus Dendropsophus is significantly underestimated, especially in Amazonia. Herein, through integrative taxonomy a new species of Dendropsophus from the east bank of the upper Madeira River, Brazil is described. Based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological analyses, the new species is referred to the D. microcephalus species group, where it is differentiated from its congeners mainly by having a green bilobate vocal sac and an advertisement call comprising 1–4 monophasic notes emitted with a dominant frequency of 8,979–9,606 Hz. Based on intensive sampling conducted in the study area over the last ten years, the new species is restricted to the east bank of the upper Madeira River, although its geographic range is expected to include Bolivian forests close to the type locality

Systematics of Neotropical microteiid lizards (Gymnophthalmidae, Cercosaurinae), with the description of a new genus and species from the Andean montane forests

Cercosaurine lizards (subfamily Cercosaurinae of the family Gymnophthalmidae) represent a substantial component of the reptile fauna in the Neotropics. Several attempts have been made to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships within this group, but most studies focused on particular genera or regions and did not cover the subfamily as a whole. In this study, material from the montane forests of Peru was newly sequenced. In combination with all cercosaurine sequences available on GenBank, an updated phylogeny of Cercosaurinae is provided. Monophyly was not supported for three of the currently recognised genera (Echinosaura, Oreosaurus, and Proctoporus). The genus Proctoporus is formed by five monophyletic groups, which should be used in future taxonomic revisions as feasible entities. Recognition of two previously identified undescribed clades (Unnamed clades 2 and 3) was supported and yet another undescribed clade (termed here Unnamed clade 4), which deserves recognition as an independent genus, was identified herein. Selvasaura brava, a new genus and new species of arboreal gymnophthalmid lizard is described from the montane forests of the Pui Pui Protected Forest, Provincia de Chanchamayo, Región Junín, Peru. The new species is characterised by its small size (SVL 42.1–45.9 mm), slender body, smooth head shields, presence of paired prefrontal shields, fused anteriormost supraocular and anteriormost superciliary shields, transparent not divided lower palpebral disc, slightly rugose subimbricate rectangular dorsal scales in adults (slightly keeled in juveniles), distinctly smaller but non-granular lateral scales, smooth squared to rectangular ventral scales, and hemipenial lobes large, distinct from the hemipenial body. Phylogenetic affinities of the new genus to the other cercosaurine genera, as well as basal phylogenetic relationships between the other cercosaurine genera remain unresolved

A New Species of Scinax (Anura: Hylidae) from the Area of Iquitos, Amazonian Peru

We describe a new species of the hylid frog genus Scinax from the Peruvian Upper Amazonian Lowlands (area of Iquitos, Region Loreto, Peru). The new species belongs to the Scinax ruber clade and differs from all its members by having the dorsal skin slightly to coarsely shagreen, by lacking conspicuous ulnar and tarsal tubercles, and in life by having a distinct light olive-green coloration on dorsum, bright yellow flanks with distinct black spots, black posterior surfaces of thighs, and gold to bronze iris