The HaDREB2 transcription factor enhances basal thermotolerance and longevity of seeds through functional interaction with HaHSFA9

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transcription factor HaDREB2 was identified in sunflower (<it>Helianthus annuus </it>L.) as a drought-responsive element-binding factor 2 (DREB2) with unique properties. HaDREB2 and the sunflower Heat Shock Factor A9 (HaHSFA9) co-activated the <it>Hahsp17.6G1 </it>promoter in sunflower embryos. Both factors could be involved in transcriptional co-activation of additional small heat stress protein (sHSP) promoters, and thus contribute to the HaHSFA9-mediated enhancement of longevity and basal thermotolerance of seeds.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that overexpression of HaDREB2 in seeds did not enhance longevity. This was deduced from assays of basal thermotolerance and controlled seed-deterioration, which were performed with transgenic tobacco. Furthermore, the constitutive overexpression of HaDREB2 did not increase thermotolerance in seedlings or result in the accumulation of HSPs at normal growth temperatures. In contrast, when HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 were conjointly overexpressed in seeds, we observed positive effects on seed longevity, beyond those observed with overexpression of HaHSFA9 alone. Such additional effects are accompanied by a subtle enhancement of the accumulation of subsets of sHSPs belonging to the CI and CII cytosolic classes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results reveal the functional interdependency of HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 in seeds. HaDREB2 differs from other previously characterized DREB2 factors in plants in terms of its unique functional interaction with the seed-specific HaHSFA9 factor. No functional interaction between HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 was observed when both factors were conjointly overexpressed in vegetative tissues. We therefore suggest that additional, seed-specific factors, or protein modifications, could be required for the functional interaction between HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9.</p

Inestabilidad patelofemoral en niños con Síndrome de Down

La inestabilidad patelofemoral en el síndrome de Down se presenta en el contexto de hiperlaxitud e inmadurez esquelética suponiendo un reto en el tratamiento. Nuestro objetivo es valorar el resultado clínico-funcional de la cirugía de partes blandas, en estos pacientes hiperlaxos e inmaduros esqueléticamente. Hemos revisado retrospectivamente a los pacientes con síndrome de Down e inmadurez esquelética intervenidos por inestabilidad patelofemoral con seguimiento hasta el cierre fisario. Seis pacientes (9 rodillas) con media de edad de 12,4 años fueron incluidos. El grado de inestabilidad patelofemoral prequirúrgica (clasificación de Dugdale) mostró 1 (11,1%) caso grado 2; 2 (22,2%) casos grado 3 y 6 (66,6%) casos grado 4. El grado de función patelar (según Insall) al alcanzar la madurez esquelética fue malo en un caso (recidiva de la luxación), bueno en 2 y excelente en 6. En definitiva, los procedimientos sobre partes blandas pueden ser suficientes en pacientes con síndrome de Down.Patelofemoral instability in Down syndrome´s patients appears in hiperlaxity and open physis context. Our aim is to make a retrospective clinical-functional assessment of the soft tissue procedure treatment of patellofemoral instability in patients with Down Syndrome skeletally immature (open physeal), following them until the physeal closure. We have included six patients (9 knees) with a mean age of 12.4 years old. Patellar instability (Dugdale´s classification) distribution was 1 (11.1%) cases degree ll; 2 (22.2%) cases degree lll and 6 (66.6%) cases degree IV. Patellar function assessed by Insall score at follow up was excellent in 6 of the cases, good in 2 cases and bad in one case (recurrent dislocation). In summary, a proximal soft tissues procedure in Down syndrome patients could be enough for patellar instability treatment

Supporting Dynamicity in Emergency Response Applications

Multiagent Systems are a promising paradigm for software development. It is feasible to model such systems with many components where each one can solve a specific problem. This division of responsibilities allows multiagent systems to work in dynamically changing environments. An example of an environment that is very changeable is related with emergencies management. Emergency management systems depend on the cooperation of all their components due to their specialization. In order to obtain this cooperation, the components need to interact with each other and adapt their interactions depending on their purpose and the system components they are interacting with. Also, new components may arrive on the scene, which must be informed about the interaction policies that original components are using. Although Multiagent Systems are suited to managing scenarios of this kind, their effectiveness depends on their capacity to dynamically modify and adapt the protocols that control the interactions among agents in the system. In this paper, an infrastructure to support dynamically changing interaction protocols is presented

Rheological Properties of Clay Suspensions Treated by Hydrocyclone Process

Suspensions of bentonite clays are usually employed at industrial scale in different processes as drilling fluids as well as adsorbents for removing pollutants in muds or natural waters. For these purposes, avoiding the gravitational settling of the particles is a requirement for achieving a high efficiency and a low cost operation. Unfortunately, the clays in natural deposits are usually mixed with particles of other minerals with similar density, making difficult the separation process by usual gravitational methods. Among the most efficient and lowest cost processes, the separation by hydrocyclone is preferred because of a number of advantages at the industrial scale. In this work we verify, by different experimental methods, the efficiency of this wet separation process for removing impurities in a raw bentonite mineral, and at the same time to transform a calcium bentonite in a sodium one by dissolving sodium carbonate in the liquid phase of the hidrocyclone. Afterwards, we checked by using rheological measurements the best protocol for the preparation of the suspension. We studied the rheological behaviour of clay suspensions, with different degree of impurities removal and with different solid concentration, in order to determine the minimal conditions for obtaining bentonite suspensions that do not suffer from gravitational settling during a long period of time. For this purpose, we investigated the deformation and flow of different suspensions, under steady state and oscillatory shear, and determined when they developed a high enough yield stress and an appropriate elastic response to avoid particle settling. We explain the results in view of the energy of interaction between the different surfaces (faces, edges) of the clay platelets, which favours the formation of a soft gel in which the particles are entrapped in loose flocculi that extent along all the volume of the suspensions.This study was supported by project FIS2013-41821-R (Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain, co-funded by ERDF, European Union). Mariem Mekni Abrougui acknowledges financial support from Tunisian Goverment (fellowship program) and UE (Erasmus program) for her stays in the University of Granada

L. Anneo Seneca ilustrado en blasones politicos y morales y su impugnador impugnado de si mismo...

Copia digital. Valladolid : Junta de Castilla y León. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo, 2009-2010Fe de erratas fechada en 1671Sign.: [parágrafo]-4[parágrafo]4, A-Z4, 2A-2Y4, [parágrafo]4La h. de grab. calc.: "P. a Villafranca... sculp. Matriti 1671", retrato de D. Juan de AustriaLos grab. calc.: "Orozco Presbiter" y "Diego Obregon inv. y esculpsi

MicroRNA Alterations in a Tg501 Mouse Model of Prion Disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to the development and pathology of many neurodegenerative diseases, including prion diseases. They are also promising biomarker candidates due to their stability in body fluids. We investigated miRNA alterations in a Tg501 mouse model of prion diseases that expresses a transgene encoding the goat prion protein (PRNP). Tg501 mice intracranially inoculated with mouse-adapted goat scrapie were compared with age-matched, mock inoculated controls in preclinical and clinical stages. Small RNA sequencing from the cervical spinal cord indicated that miR-223-3p, miR-151-3p, and miR-144-5p were dysregulated in scrapie-inoculated animals before the onset of symptoms. In clinical-stage animals, 23 significant miRNA alterations were found. These miRNAs were predicted to modify the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways including prion disease, extracellular matrix interactions, glutaminergic synapse, axon guidance, and transforming growth factor-beta signaling. MicroRNAs miR-146a-5p (up in cervical spinal cord) and miR-342-3p (down in cervical spinal cord, cerebellum and plasma), both indicated in neurodegenerative diseases earlier, were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Minimal changes observed before the disease onset suggests that most miRNA alterations observed here are driven by advanced prion-associated pathology, possibly limiting their use as diagnostic markers. However, the results encourage further mechanistic studies on miRNA-regulated pathways involved in these neurodegenerative conditions

Stroke volume and cardiac output non-invasive monitoring based on brachial oscillometry-derived pulse contour analysis: Explanatory variables and reference intervals throughout life (3–88 years)

Background: Non-invasive assessment of stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI) has shown to be useful for the evaluation, diagnosis and/or management of different clinical conditions. Through pulse contour analysis (PCA) cuff-based oscillometric devices would enable obtaining ambulatory operator-independent non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring. There are no reference intervals (RIs), when considered as a continuum in childhood, adolescence and adult life, for PCA-derived SV [SV(PCA)], CO [CO(PCA)] and CI [CI(PCA)]. The aim of the study were to analyze the associations of SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA) with demographic, anthropometric, cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and hemodynamic parameters, and to define RIs and percentile curves for SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA), considering the variables that should be considered when expressing them. Methods: In 1449 healthy subjects (3–88 years) SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA) were non-invasively obtained (Mobil-O-Graph; Germany). Analysis: associations between subject characteristics and SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA) levels (correlations; regression models); RIs and percentiles for SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA) (parametric methods; fractional polynomials). Results: Sex, age, and heart rate would be explanatory variables for SV, CO, and CI levels. SV levels were also examined by body height, while body surface area (BSA) contributing to evaluation of CO and CI. CVRFs exposure did not contribute to independently explain the values of the dependent variables. SV, CO and CI levels were partially explained by the oscillometric-derived signal quality. RIs and percentiles were defined. Conclusions: Reference intervals and percentile for SV(PCA), CO(PCA) and CI(PCA), were defined for subjects from 3–88 years of age, results are expressed according to sex, age, heart rate, body height and/or BSA.Fil: Zócalo, Yanina. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: García-Espinosa, Victoria. Universidad de la Republica. Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: Castro, Juan M.. Universidad de la Republica. Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: Zinoveev, Agustina. Universidad de la Republica. Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: Marin, Mariana. Universidad de la Republica. Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: Chiesa, Pedro. Universidad de la Republica Facultad de Medicina; UruguayFil: Diaz, Alberto Alejandro. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Escuela Superior de Ciencias de la Salud. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Municipalidad de Tandil. Hospital Municipal Ramón Santamarina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Bia, Daniel. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Medicina; Urugua

Bacteriological and Immunological Profiling of Meconium and Fecal Samples from Preterm Infants : A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

An abnormal colonization pattern of the preterm gut may affect immune maturation and exert a long-term influence on the intestinal bacterial composition and host health. However, follow-up studies assessing the evolution of the fecal microbiota of infants that were born preterm are very scarce. In this work, the bacterial compositions of fecal samples, obtained from sixteen 2-year-old infants were evaluated using a phylogenetic microarray; subsequently, the results were compared with those obtained in a previous study from samples of meconium and feces collected from the same infants while they stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In parallel, the concentration of a wide range of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and immunoglobulins were determined in meconium and fecal samples. Globally, a higher bacterial diversity and a lower interindividual variability were observed in 2-year-olds' feces, when compared to the samples obtained during their first days of life. Hospital-associated fecal bacteria, that were dominant during the NICU stay, seemed to be replaced, two years later, by genera, which are usually predominant in the healthy adult microbiome. The immune profile of the meconium and fecal samples differed, depending on the sampling time, showing different immune maturation statuses of the gut.Peer reviewe

Interplay of Postprandial Triglyceride-Rich Lipoprotein Composition and Adipokines in Obese Adolescents

In the context of the alarming rise of infant obesity and its health implications, the present research aims to uncover disruptions in postprandial lipid metabolism and the composition of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in obese adolescents. A double-blind, controlled clinical trial in the postprandial phase on 23 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years was carried out. Twelve participants were categorized as obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2 and percentile > 95) and 11 as normal-weight (BMI = 20–25 kg/m2, percentile 5–85). Blood samples were collected after a 12-h overnight fast and postprandially after consumption of a standardized breakfast containing olive oil, tomato, bread, orange juice, and skimmed milk. Obese adolescents exhibited elevated triglyceride concentrations in both fasting and postprandial states and higher TG/apo-B48 ratios, indicating larger postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) particle size, which suggests impaired clearance. Obese subjects also exhibited higher n-6 PUFA concentrations, potentially linked to increased TRL hydrolysis and the release of pro-inflammatory adipokines. In contrast, TRL from normal-weight individuals showed higher concentrations of oleic acid and DHA (n-3 PUFA), with possible anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate an interplay involving postprandial TRL metabolism and adipokines within the context of adolescent obesity, pointing to potential cardiovascular implications in the future.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant number AGL2011-23810)”“Next Generation EU” fundsEuropean Union Recovery, Transformation and Resilience PlanMinistry of Universities, in the framework of the Margarita Salas, Maria Zambrano grants for the Requalification of the Spanish University System 2021–2023, organized by the Pablo de Olavide University, Sevill