Recent Advances on Density Separation Techniques for Microplastic Recovery from Sediments

Microplastics are small plastic fragments commonly less than 5 mm in size (Khatmullina et al., 2016), making up about 92% of the total plastic pollution. Since these plastics are transparent due to their small size, they cause invisible plastic pollution. Due to their adsorptive properties, they can potentially harm marine and human life if ingested. Microplastic extraction is used to isolate microplastics from their original matrix using various methods and instruments to ease the process. Electrostatic separation, magnetization, and pressurized fluid extraction are among the established microplastic extraction methods, but these separation techniques require more effort and use a more advanced setup than density separation. Salt-assisted density separation of microplastics has been demonstrated to provide modest to excellent recovery rates. This review survey reported different salt solutions used in microplastic extraction via density separation in the last five years. Among the inorganic salts used in density separation, sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4) holds promise in separating microplastics because of its high extraction efficiency while being cost-effective and non-hazardous

The role of molecular crowding in long-range metalloprotein electron transfer: Dissection into site- and scaffold-specific contributions

Here we report the effect of molecular crowding on long-range protein electron transfer (ET) and disentangle the specific responses of the redox site and the protein milieu. To this end, we studied two different one-electron redox proteins that share the cupredoxin fold but differ in the metal center, T1 mononuclear blue copper and binuclear CuA, and generated chimeras with hybrid properties by incorporating different T1 centers within the CuA scaffold or by swapping loops between orthologous proteins from different organisms to perturb the CuA site. The heterogeneous ET kinetics of the different proteins was studied by protein film electrochemistry at variable electronic couplings and in the presence of two different crowding agents. The results reveal a strong frictional control of the ET reactions, which for 10 Å tunnelling distances results in a 90% drop of the ET rate when viscosity is matched to that of the mitochondrial interior (ca. 55 cP) by addition of either crowding agent. The effect is ascribed to the dynamical coupling of the metal site and the milieu, which for T1 is found to be twice stronger than for CuA, and the activation energy of protein-solvent motion that is dictated by the overall scaffold. This work highlights the need of explicitly considering molecular crowding effects in protein ET.Fil: Zitare, Ulises Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Szuster, Jonathan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Scocozza, Magali Franca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Espinoza Cara, Andrés Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Leguto, Alcides José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Morgada, Marcos Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Vila, Alejandro Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Murgida, Daniel Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; Argentin

Direct impacts of off-hour deliveries on urban freight emissions

The most significant negative environmental impacts of urban trucking result largely from travel in congested traffic. To illustrate the potential of innovative solutions to this problem, this paper presents new research on the emission reductions associated with off-hour freight deliveries (OHD). The paper uses fine-level GPS data of delivery operations during regular-hours (6 AM to 7 PM), and off-hours (7 PM to 6 AM), to quantify emissions in three major cities in the Americas. Using second-by-second emissions modeling, the paper compares emissions under both delivery schedules for: reactive organic gases, total organic gases, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate matter. The results show that the magnitude of the emission reductions depends on the extent of the change of delivery time. In the case of the “Full” OHD programs of New York City and São Paulo—where the deliveries were made during the late night and early morning periods (7 PM to 6 AM)—the emission reductions are in the range of 45–67%. In the case of the “Partial” OHD used in Bogotá (where OHD took place between 6 PM and 10 PM), the reductions were about 13%. The emission reductions per kilometer are used to estimate the total reductions for the cities studied, and for all metropolitan areas in the world with more than two million residents. The results indicate the considerable potential of OHD as an effective—business friendly—sustainability tool to improve the environmental performance of urban deliveries. The chief implication is that public policy should foster off-hour deliveries, and all forms of Freight Demand Management, where practicable

Cambio climático y recursos hídricos: El caso de las tierras secas del oeste argentino

Por centro-oeste argentino aludimos al extenso territorio seco perteneciente a las provincias de San Juan y Mendoza que se extiende al pie de los Andes. En dichas provincias, más del 95% de la población se concentra en tierras irrigadas que ocupan respectivamente el 2,8% y el 3,4% de la extensión de ellas, y en esas tierras, también, se genera gran parte del producto bruto regional. Lo pequeño del área bajo riego con relación a los territorios provinciales refleja la escasez de agua, el recurso natural que regula el crecimiento socioeconómico de la región...Fil: Boninsegna, Jose Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Masiokas, Mariano Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Cara Ramirez, Leandro Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Salomón, Mario Sebastián. Provincia de Mendoza. Departamento General de Irrigación; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Pozzoli, José Carlos. Universidad del Aconcagua; Argentin

How Anesthetic, Analgesic and Other Non-Surgical Techniques During Cancer Surgery Might Affect Postoperative Oncologic Outcomes:A Summary of Current State of Evidence

The question of whether anesthetic, analgesic or other perioperative intervention during cancer resection surgery might influence long-term oncologic outcomes has generated much attention over the past 13 years. A wealth of experimental and observational clinical data have been published, but the results of prospective, randomized clinical trials are awaited. The European Union supports a pan-European network of researchers, clinicians and industry partners engaged in this question (COST Action 15204: Euro-Periscope). In this narrative review, members of the Euro-Periscope network briefly summarize the current state of evidence pertaining to the potential effects of the most commonly deployed anesthetic and analgesic techniques and other non-surgical interventions during cancer resection surgery on tumor recurrence or metastasis

A Genome-Wide Pharmacogenetic Study of Growth Hormone Responsiveness

Individual patients vary in their response to growth hormone (GH). No large-scale genome-wide studies have looked for genetic predictors of GH responsiveness. To identify genetic variants associated with GH responsiveness. Genome-wide association study (GWAS). Cohorts from multiple academic centers and a clinical trial. A total of 614 individuals from 5 short stature cohorts receiving GH: 297 with idiopathic short stature, 276 with isolated GH deficiency, and 65 born small for gestational age. Association of more than 2 million variants was tested. Primary analysis: individual single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association with first-year change in height standard deviation scores. Secondary analyses: SNP associations in clinical subgroups adjusted for clinical variables; association of polygenic score calculated from 697 genome-wide significant height SNPs with GH responsiveness. No common variant associations reached genome-wide significance in the primary analysis. The strongest suggestive signals were found near the B4GALT4 and TBCE genes. After meta-analysis including replication data, signals at several loci reached or retained genome-wide significance in secondary analyses, including variants near ST3GAL6. There was no significant association with variants previously reported to be associated with GH response nor with a polygenic predicted height score. We performed the largest GWAS of GH responsiveness to date. We identified 2 loci with a suggestive effect on GH responsiveness in our primary analysis and several genome-wide significant associations in secondary analyses that require further replication. Our results are consistent with a polygenic component to GH responsiveness, likely distinct from the genetic regulators of adult height

Twice‐weekly ixazomib in combination with lenalidomide‐dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144661/1/bjh15394.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144661/2/bjh15394_am.pd

BBF RFC 106: A Standard Type IIS Syntax for Plants

Here we define a standard syntax for assembling standard parts for expression in plant cells, extensible to all other eukaryotes. Variations of the Type IIS mediated cloning method known as Golden Gate Cloning, most notably Golden Braid (GB2.0) and Golden Gate Modular Cloning (MoClo) are in common use, particularly for the assembly of plasmids for delivery to plant cells. Many characterised plant parts compatible with Type IIS mediated assembly are available outside of the Registry of Standard Parts, as well as plasmids with the features necessary for delivery of DNA to plants cells via the shuttle chassis, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This RFC describes a consensus Type IIS syntax for plant parts to allow assembly into complete eukaryotic transcriptional units in plasmid vectors that contain the necessary features for transfection of plant chassis. We use Marchantia polymorpha, a primitive and easy-to-engineer liverwort and Nicotiana benthamiana a model plant as exemplar chassis

Recruitment of MBD1 to target genes requires sequence-specific interaction of the MBD domain with methylated DNA

MBD1, a member of the methyl-CpG-binding domain family of proteins, has been reported to repress transcription of methylated and unmethylated promoters. As some MBD1 isoforms contain two DNA-binding domains—an MBD, which recognizes methylated DNA; and a CXXC3 zinc finger, which binds unmethylated CpG—it is unclear whether these two domains function independently of each other or if they cooperate in facilitating recruitment of MBD1 to particular genomic loci. In this report we investigate DNA-binding specificity of MBD and CXXC3 domains in vitro and in vivo. We find that the methyl-CpG-binding domain of MBD1 binds more efficiently to methylated DNA within a specific sequence context. We identify genes that are targeted by MBD1 in human cells and demonstrate that a functional MBD domain is necessary and sufficient for recruitment of MBD1 to specific sites at these loci, while DNA binding by the CXXC3 motif is largely dispensable. In summary, the binding preferences of MBD1, although dependent upon the presence of methylated DNA, are clearly distinct from those of other methyl-CpG-binding proteins, MBD2 and MeCP2

Activating Transcription Factor 4 Modulates TGFβ-Induced Aggressiveness in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via SMAD2/3/4 and mTORC2 Signaling

Purpose: On the basis of the identified stress-independent cellular functions of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), we reported enhanced ATF4 levels in MCF10A cells treated with TGFβ1. ATF4 is overexpressed in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but its impact on patient survival and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We aimed to determine ATF4 effects on patients with breast cancer survival and TNBC aggressiveness, and the relationships between TGFβ and ATF4. Defining the signaling pathways may help us identify a cell signaling-tailored gene signature.Experimental Design: Patient survival data were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Relationship between TGFβ and ATF4, their effects on aggressiveness (tumor proliferation, metastasis, and stemness), and the underlying pathways were analyzed in three TNBC cell lines and in vivo using patient-derived xenografts (PDX).Results: ATF4 overexpression correlated with TNBC patient survival decrease and a SMAD-dependent crosstalk between ATF4 and TGFβ was identified. ATF4 expression inhibition reduced migration, invasiveness, mammosphere-forming efficiency, proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and antiapoptotic and stemness marker levels. In PDX models, ATF4 silencing decreased metastases, tumor growth, and relapse after chemotherapy. ATF4 was shown to be active downstream of SMAD2/3/4 and mTORC2, regulating TGFβ/SMAD and mTOR/RAC1-RHOA pathways independently of stress. We defined an eight-gene signature with prognostic potential, altered in 45% of 2,509 patients with breast cancer.Conclusions: ATF4 may represent a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in patients with TNBC, and we identified a cell signaling pathway-based gene signature that may contribute to the development of combinatorial targeted therapies for breast cancer