GTP cyclohydrolase I gene polymorphisms are associated with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: The genetic background of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is complex and poorly understood. Studying genetic components of intermediate phenotypes, such as endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, may aid in identifying novel genetic components for atherosclerosis in diabetic patients.<p></p> Methods: Five polymorphisms forming two haplotype blocks within the GTP cyclohydrolase 1 gene, encoding a rate limiting enzyme in tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis, were studied in the context of flow and nitroglycerin mediated dilation (FMD and NMD), intima-media thickness (IMT), and plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and malondialdehyde (MDA).<p></p> Results: Rs841 was associated with FMD (p = 0.01), while polymorphisms Rs10483639, Rs841, Rs3783641 (which form a single haplotype) were associated with both MDA (p = 0.012, p = 0.0015 and p = 0.003, respectively) and vWF concentrations (p = 0.016, p = 0.03 and p = 0.045, respectively). In addition, polymorphism Rs8007267 was also associated with MDA (p = 0.006). Haplotype analysis confirmed the association of both haplotypes with studied variables.<p></p> Conclusions: Genetic variation of the GCH1 gene is associated with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in T2DM patients

A Potential New Pathway for Staphylococcus aureus Dissemination: The Silent Survival of S. aureus Phagocytosed by Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Although considered to be an extracellular pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus is able to invade a variety of mammalian, non-professional phagocytes and can also survive engulfment by professional phagocytes such as neutrophils and monocytes. In both of these cell types S. aureus promptly escapes from the endosomes/phagosomes and proliferates within the cytoplasm, which quickly leads to host cell death. In this report we show that S. aureus interacted with human monocyte-derived macrophages in a very different way to those of other mammalian cells. Upon phagocytosis by macrophages, S. aureus persisted intracellularly in vacuoles for 3–4 days before escaping into the cytoplasm and causing host cell lysis. Until the point of host cell lysis the infected macrophages showed no signs of apoptosis or necrosis and were functional. They were able to eliminate intracellular staphylococci if prestimulated with interferon-γ at concentrations equivalent to human therapeutic doses. S. aureus survival was dependent on the alternative sigma factor B as well as the global regulator agr, but not SarA. Furthermore, isogenic mutants deficient in α-toxin, the metalloprotease aureolysin, protein A, and sortase A were efficiently killed by macrophages upon phagocytosis, although with different kinetics. In particular α-toxin was a key effector molecule that was essential for S. aureus intracellular survival in macrophages. Together, our data indicate that the ability of S. aureus to survive phagocytosis by macrophages is determined by multiple virulence factors in a way that differs considerably from its interactions with other cell types. S. aureus persists inside macrophages for several days without affecting the viability of these mobile cells which may serve as vehicles for the dissemination of infection

Intrauterine deaths — an unsolved problem in Polish perinatology

Objectives: The Polish criteria for “intrauterine death” include fetal demise after 22 weeks of gestation, weighing > 500 g and body length at least 25 cm, when the gestational age is unknown. The rate of fetal death in Poland in 2015 is 3:10,000. In 2020, 1,231 stillbirths were registered. Material and methods: An analysis using 142,662 births in the period between 2015–2020 in 11 living in Poland. The first subgroup was admitted as patients > 22 to the beginning of the 30th week of pregnancy (n = 229), and the second from the 30th week of pregnancy inclusively (n = 179). In the case of women from both subgroups, there was a risk of preterm delivery close to hospitalization. Results: It was found that stillbirth in 41% of women in the first pregnancy. For the patient, stillbirth was also the first in his life. The average stillbirth weight was 1487 g, the average body length was 40 cm. Among fetuses up to 30 weeks, male fetuses are born more often, in subgroup II, the sex of the child was usually female. Most fetal deaths occur in mothers < 15 and > 45 years of age. Conclusions: According to the Polish results of the origin of full-term fetuses > 30 weeks of gestation for death in the concomitant antenatal, such as placental-umbilical and fetal hypoxia, acute intrapartum effects rarely, and moreover < 30 Hbd fetal growth restriction (FGR), occurring placental-umbilical, acute intrapartum often

Technical Design Report for the: PANDA Micro Vertex Detector

This document illustrates the technical layout and the expected performance of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. The MVD will detect charged particles as close as possible to the interaction zone. Design criteria and the optimisation process as well as the technical solutions chosen are discussed and the results of this process are subjected to extensive Monte Carlo physics studies. The route towards realisation of the detector is outlined.Comment: 189 pages, 225 figures, 41 table

Influence of Stark splitting levels on the lasing performance of Yb3+ in phosphate and fluorophosphate glasses

Lasing properties have been investigated for Yb3+ doped glasses with similar emission cross sections (sigma(emi)) and lifetime while possessing different Stark levels. Narrow Stark splitting of Yb3+-phosphate glass is responsible for severe heat generation, narrow emission band and much smaller semi at lasing wavelength, making Yb3+-phosphate glass unsuccessful to achieve laser output, whereas 1.166W cw laser was obtained in Yb3+-fluorophosphate (FP) glass with broader Stark splitting. Analysis on laser system levels reveals that under room temperature, Yb3+ laser is quasi-3.13-level in phosphate glass and quasi-3.36-level in FP glass. These demonstrations suggest that unless the Stark splitting is enlarged, conventional Yb3+-phosphate glass is not a good gain medium for bulk Yb3+-laser. (C) 2015 Optical Society of Americ

[The functional relevance of Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu-beta2-adrenoreceptor polymorphism in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of beta2-adrenoreceptor polymorphisms Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu as well as their relationship to the pulmonary function parameters, and the clinical presentation in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Investigated polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium, therefore their effects should be evaluated collectively. Although no significant association could be found with the presence of asthma or allergic rhinitis in studied population, polymorphisms of beta2-adrenoreceptor can influence pulmonary function in these patients. These effects significantly differ between men and women, possibly indicating the effect of sex hormones on genetic regulation of pulmonary function

Stability of mechanically exfoliated layered monochalcogenides under ambient conditions

Abstract Monochalcogenides of groups III (GaS, GaSe) and VI (GeS, GeSe, SnS, and SnSe) are materials with interesting thickness-dependent characteristics, which have been applied in many areas. However, the stability of layered monochalcogenides (LMs) is a real problem in semiconductor devices that contain these materials. Therefore, it is an important issue that needs to be explored. This article presents a comprehensive study of the degradation mechanism in mechanically exfoliated monochalcogenides in ambient conditions using Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy supported by structural methods. A higher stability (up to three weeks) was observed for GaS. The most reactive were Se-containing monochalcogenides. Surface protrusions appeared after the ambient exposure of GeSe was detected by scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the degradation of GeS and GeSe flakes was observed in the operando experiment in transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the amorphization of the material progressed from the flake edges. The reported results and conclusions on the degradation of LMs are useful to understand surface oxidation, air stability, and to fabricate stable devices with monochalcogenides. The results indicate that LMs are more challenging for exfoliation and optical studies than transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, or WSe2

Cardiovascular Function in Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Women of Reproductive Age

Background: Sex hormones influence the cardiovascular (CV) function in women. However, it is uncertain whether their physiological variation related to the regular menstrual cycle affects the CV system. We studied changes in the hemodynamic profile and body’s water content and their relation to sex hormone concentration in healthy women during the menstrual cycle. Material and methods: Forty-five adult women were examined during the early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal phases of the same menstrual cycle. The hemodynamic profile was estimated non-invasively by cardiac impedance while water content was estimated by total body impedance. Results were compared with repeated measures ANOVA with post-test, if applicable. Results: There were no significant changes in most hemodynamic and water content parameters between the menstrual cycle phases in healthy women. Left ventricular ejection time differed significantly among phases of the menstrual cycle, with shorter values in the mid-luteal phase (308.4 vs. 313.52 ms, p < 0.05) compared to the late follicular phase. However, the clinical relevance of such small differences is negligible. Conclusions: Changes in sex hormones during the physiological menstrual cycle appear to have no considerable effect on healthy women’s hemodynamic function and water accumulation

Research on Efficient Fast Scintillators: Evidence and X‐Ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy Characterization of Ce 4+ in Ce 3+ , Mg 2+ ‐Co‐Doped Gd 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12 Garnet Crystal

International audienceHerein, the most advanced oxide scintillator Ce3+, Mg2+‐co‐doped Gd3Al2Ga3O12 (GAGG) garnet host, grown using the Czochralski method is reported. The charge transfer absorption band in UV, such as in other Ce3+, Mg2+‐co‐doped oxides, reveals the creation of stable Ce4+ oxidation state, in addition to the usual Ce3+ one, admitted as responsible of the scintillation mechanism improvement displayed by this garnet. Strangely, the confirmation of quantitative values of Ce4+ concentration has never been done, and the goal is mainly focused on the presence of Ce4+ and the evaluation of the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio measured by X‐ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) spectroscopy at the Ce LIII threshold of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). This result is compared with those obtained for Ce3+, Mg2+‐co‐doped Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG) and, also, in garnets without any Mg2+ ions such as Ce3+‐doped GAGG, Ce3+‐doped LuAG, and Ce3+‐doped YAG. The role of Li+ ion in place of Mg2+ one is also considered in Ce3+, Li+‐co‐doped LuAG single crystal