Reinforcing capability of cellulose nanocrystals obtained from pine cones in a biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PHB/PCL) thermoplastic blend

[EN] In this work, different loads (3, 5 and 7 wt%) of pine cone cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were added to films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PHB/PCL) blends with a composition of 75 wt% PHB and 25 wt % PCL (PHB75/PCL25). The films were obtained after solvent casting followed by melt compounding in an extruder and finally subjected to a thermocompression process. The influence of different CNCs loadings on the mechanical, thermal, optical, wettability and disintegration in controlled compost properties of the PHB75/PCL25 blend was discussed. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed the best dispersion of CNCs on the polymeric matrix was at a load of 3 wt%. Over this loading, CNCs aggregates were formed enhancing the films fragilization due to stress concentration phenomena. However, the addition of CNCs improved the optical properties of the PHB75/PCL25 films by increasing their transparency and accelerated the film disintegration in controlled soil conditions. In general, the blend with 3 wt% CNCs offers the best balanced properties in terms of mechanical, thermal, optical and wettability.This research was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness MINECO through the gran number MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R. D. Garcia-Garcia wants to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports for the financial support through a FPU grant number FPU13/06011.Garcia-Garcia, D.; Balart, R.; Strömberg, E.; Moriana, R. (2018). Reinforcing capability of cellulose nanocrystals obtained from pine cones in a biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PHB/PCL) thermoplastic blend. European Polymer Journal. 104:10-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2018.04.036S101810

Analysis of the concentration of emissions from the Spanish fleet of tugboats

At present, the sensitivity of society towards emissions in commercial maritime ports is increasing, which is reflected in the large number of studies on the control of emissions in them, perhaps because the most important commercial ports are located in cities with high population density. The objective of this work was to determine the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the activity of the Spanish tugboat fleet, studying the tugboat fleet of the eleven autonomous coastal Spanish communities from 2004 to 2017 and their impact on the carbon footprint of the country?s shipping sector. To do this, the methodology used by the International Maritime Organization for merchant ships to estimate the emissions of a tugboat fleet is formalized, and Gini concentration index methodology was applied to the concentration of emissions from this fleet. This has made it possible to obtain results on the distribution of the concentration of emissions from Spanish ports by region, age, and size, as well as to establish the profile of the tugboat port that pollutes the most and its carbon footprint. One of the results is that in the period analyzed, the concentration of emissions from the Spanish tugboat fleet increased if we looked at its distribution by region, and decreased if we look at its distribution by age and size. This is because tugboat activity was very different by region; however, their characteristics related to age and size evolved in a more homogeneous way

Bacterial molecular machinery in the Martian cryosphere conditions

The exploration of Mars is one of the main objectives of space missions since the red planet is considered to be, or was in the past, potentially habitable. Although the surface of Mars is now dry and arid, abundant research suggests that water covered Mars billions of years ago. Recently, the existence of liquid water in subglacial lakes has been postulated below the South pole of Mars. Until now, experiments have been carried out on the survival of microorganisms in Martian surface conditions, but it remains unknown how their adaptation mechanisms would be in the Martian cryosphere. In this work, two bacterial species (Bacillus subtilis and Curtobacterium flacumfaciens) were subjected to a simulated Martian environment during 24 h using a planetary chamber. Afterward, the molecular machinery of both species was studied to investigate how they had been modified. Proteomes, the entire set of proteins expressed by each bacterium under Earth (named standard) conditions and Martian conditions, were compared using proteomic techniques. To establish this evaluation, both the expression levels of each protein, and the variation in their distribution within the different functional categories were considered. The results showed that these bacterial species followed a different strategy. The Bacillus subtilis resistance approach consisted of improving its stress response, membrane bioenergetics, degradation of biomolecules; and to a lesser extent, increasing its mobility and the formation of biofilms or resistance endospores. On the contrary, enduring strategy of Curtobacterium flacumfaciens comprised of strengthening the cell envelope, trying to protect cells from the extracellular environment. These results are especially important due to their implications for planetary protection, missions to Mars and sample return since contamination by microorganisms would invalidate the results of these investigations

The European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) : Current status and prospects for advancement

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the participants of the five workshops in which the issues presented in this paper were discussed and the revised guidelines prepared, as well as the EUROTOX Executive Committee and the societies of toxicology of Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and France for their support which allowed the workshops to take place.Peer reviewedPostprin

p70S6K is regulated by Focal Adhesion Kinase and is required for Src-selective autophagy

AbstractHere we report that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is required for optimal signalling to the Akt-p70S6K-S6 pathway in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. Specifically, in SCCs that are genetically deficient for FAK, there is reduced phosphorylation of Akt, p70S6K and S6, and signalling to Akt-p70S6K-S6 is more sensitive to inhibition by multiple agents that suppress the pathway. By contrast, mTOR is unaffected. Indeed, pharmacological agents that inhibit the Akt-p70S6K-S6 pathway, and PDK1 that lies upstream of Akt, also impair the autophagic targeting of activated c-Src (p-Src) in FAK deficient cells. This is associated with loss of a complex between p-Src and the autophagy protein LC3, a biochemical surrogate of impaired Src-selective autophagy. In keeping with a vital role for p70S6K, inhibition by a selective inhibitor and specific siRNA also impaired Src-selective autophagy. Finally, components of the PDK1-Akt-p70S6K signalling pathway were co-located with p-Src at autophagosomes, and Src and p70S6K co-exist in the same biochemical complex. We therefore deduce that the FAK-regulated signalling module PDK1-Akt-p70S6K that controls Src's intracellular trafficking operates at Src-containing autophagosomes

Association of Candidate Gene Polymorphisms With Chronic Kidney Disease: Results of a Case-Control Analysis in the Nefrona Cohort

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Despite classical clinical risk factors for CKD and some genetic risk factors have been identified, the residual risk observed in prediction models is still high. Therefore, new risk factors need to be identified in order to better predict the risk of CKD in the population. Here, we analyzed the genetic association of 79 SNPs of proteins associated with mineral metabolism disturbances with CKD in a cohort that includes 2, 445 CKD cases and 559 controls. Genotyping was performed with matrix assisted laser desorption ionizationtime of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression models considering different genetic inheritance models to assess the association of the SNPs with the prevalence of CKD, adjusting for known risk factors. Eight SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs2238135, rs1800247, rs385564, rs4236, rs2248359, and rs1564858) were associated with CKD even after adjusting by sex, age and race. A model containing five of these SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs1800247, rs4236, and rs2248359), diabetes and hypertension showed better performance than models considering only clinical risk factors, significantly increasing the area under the curve of the model without polymorphisms. Furthermore, one of the SNPs (the rs2248359) showed an interaction with hypertension, being the risk genotype affecting only hypertensive patients. We conclude that 5 SNPs related to proteins implicated in mineral metabolism disturbances (Osteopontin, osteocalcin, matrix gla protein, matrix metalloprotease 3 and 24 hydroxylase) are associated to an increased risk of suffering CKD

Rockport Comprehensive Plan

This document was developed and prepared by Texas Target Communities (TxTC) at Texas A&M University in partnership with the City of Rockport, Texas Sea Grant, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University - School of Law and Texas Tech University.Founded in 1871, the City of Rockport aims to continue growing economically and sustainably. Rockport is a resilient community dedicated to sustainable growth and attracting businesses to the area. Rockport is a charming town that offers a close-knit community feel and is a popular tourist destination for marine recreation, fairs, and exhibitions throughout the year. The Comprehensive Plan 2020-2040 is designed to guide the city of Rockport for its future growth. The guiding principles for this planning process were Rockport's vision statement and its corresponding goals, which were crafted by the task force. The goals focus on factors of growth and development including public participation, development considerations, transportation, community facilities, economic development, parks, and housing and social vulnerability

Nutrition and the ageing brain: moving towards clinical applications

The global increases in life expectancy and population have resulted in a growing ageing population and with it a growing number of people living with age-related neurodegenerative conditions and dementia, shifting focus towards methods of prevention, with lifestyle approaches such as nutrition representing a promising avenue for further development. This overview summarises the main themes discussed during the 3 Symposium on "Nutrition for the Ageing Brain: Moving Towards Clinical Applications" held in Madrid in August 2018, enlarged with the current state of knowledge on how nutrition influences healthy ageing and gives recommendations regarding how the critical field of nutrition and neurodegeneration research should move forward into the future. Specific nutrients are discussed as well as the impact of multi-nutrient and whole diet approaches, showing particular promise to combatting the growing burden of age-related cognitive decline. The emergence of new avenues for exploring the role of diet in healthy ageing, such as the impact of the gut microbiome and development of new techniques (imaging measures of brain metabolism, metabolomics, biomarkers) are enabling researchers to approach finding answers to these questions. But the translation of these findings into clinical and public health contexts remains an obstacle due to significant shortcomings in nutrition research or pressure on the scientific community to communicate recommendations to the general public in a convincing and accessible way. Some promising programs exist but further investigation to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which nutrition can improve brain health across the human lifespan is still required

Decline in subarachnoid haemorrhage volumes associated with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported. The study\u27s objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study across 6 continents, 37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres. Patients with the diagnosis of SAH, aneurysmal SAH, ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions and COVID-19 were identified by prospective aneurysm databases or by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes. The 3-month cumulative volume, monthly volumes for SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling procedures were compared for the period before (1 year and immediately before) and during the pandemic, defined as 1 March-31 May 2020. The prior 1-year control period (1 March-31 May 2019) was obtained to account for seasonal variation. FINDINGS: There was a significant decline in SAH hospitalisations, with 2044 admissions in the 3 months immediately before and 1585 admissions during the pandemic, representing a relative decline of 22.5% (95% CI -24.3% to -20.7%, p\u3c0.0001). Embolisation of ruptured aneurysms declined with 1170-1035 procedures, respectively, representing an 11.5% (95%CI -13.5% to -9.8%, p=0.002) relative drop. Subgroup analysis was noted for aneurysmal SAH hospitalisation decline from 834 to 626 hospitalisations, a 24.9% relative decline (95% CI -28.0% to -22.1%, p\u3c0.0001). A relative increase in ruptured aneurysm coiling was noted in low coiling volume hospitals of 41.1% (95% CI 32.3% to 50.6%, p=0.008) despite a decrease in SAH admissions in this tertile. INTERPRETATION: There was a relative decrease in the volume of SAH hospitalisations, aneurysmal SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm embolisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings in SAH are consistent with a decrease in other emergencies, such as stroke and myocardial infarction