Mitochondrial dysfunction promoted by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide as a possible link between cardiovascular disease and periodontitis

Oxidative stress is one of the factors that could explain the pathophysiological mechanism of inflammatory conditions that occur in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and periodontitis. Such inflammatory response is often evoked by specific bacteria, as the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Porphyromonas gingivalis is a key factor in this process. The aim of this research was to study the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from periodontitis patients and to evaluate the influence of LPS on fibroblasts to better understand the pathophysiology of periodontitis and its relationship with CVD. PBMCs from patients showed lower CoQ10 levels and citrate synthase activity, together with high levels of ROS production. LPS-treated fibroblasts provoked increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by a decrease in mitochondrial protein expression, mitochondrial mass, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Our study supports the hypothesis that LPS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction could be at the origin of oxidative stress in periodontal patients. Abnormal PBMC performance may promote oxidative stress and alter cytokine homeostasis. In conclusion, mitochondrial dysfunction could represent a possible link to understanding the interrelationships between two prominent inflammatory diseases: periodontitis and CV

Development of an Activity Patterns Scale (APS)

Six activity patterns were identified across various self-report measures in participants with chronic pain: Pain Avoidance, Activity Avoidance; Task Contingent Persistence; Excessive Persistence, Pain Contingent Persistence and Pacing (Kindermans et al., 2011). It was proposed that instruments assessing “pacing” should include items addressing one specific pacing behavior (breaking tasks into smaller pieces; taking frequent short rests and speeding up or slowing down) with a single goal (increasing activity level, conserve energy for valued activities and pain reduction) (Nielson et al., 2013). The aim of the present study was to develop an instrument to assess the activity patterns identified by Kindermans et al. (2011). The instrument also included three pacing scales one for each of the aforementioned goals. Methods A sample of 229 patients with fibromyalgia and 62 suffering other rheumatic diseases answered online the APS and the “Patterns of Activity Measure-Pain” (POAM-P) (Cane et al., 2007). Three alternative factor structures were tested by confirmatory factor analyses performed via structural equation modelling. . Results The structure with the best fit had 8 factors corresponding to the hypothesized scales: Pain Avoidance (α=.60), Activity Avoidance (α=.60); Task Contingent Persistence (α=.81); Excessive Persistence (α=.84), Pain Contingent Persistence (α=.70), Pacing for increasing activity (α=.76), Pacing for energy conservation (α=.72) and Pacing for pain reduction (α=.65). The correlations with the POAM-P scales were high and in the postulated direction. Conclusions The APS showed adequate reliability and structural validity. According to these results, Avoidance, Persistence and Pacing seem to be multidimensional constructs.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Human Protein Phosphatase PP6 Regulatory Subunits Provide Sit4-Dependent and Rapamycin–Sensitive Sap Function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the protein phosphatase Sit4 and four associated proteins (Sap4, Sap155, Sap185, and Sap190) mediate G1 to S cell cycle progression and a number of signaling events controlled by the target of rapamycin TOR signaling cascade. Sit4 and the Sap proteins are ubiquitously conserved and their human orthologs, PP6 and three PP6R proteins, share significant sequence identity with their yeast counterparts. However, relatively little is known about the functions of the PP6 and PP6R proteins in mammalian cells. Here we demonstrate that the human PP6R proteins physically interact with Sit4 when expressed in yeast cells. Remarkably, expression of PP6R2 and PP6R3 but not expression of PP6R1 rescues the growth defect and rapamycin hypersensitivity of yeast cells lacking all four Saps, and these effects require Sit4. Moreover, PP6R2 and PP6R3 enhance cyclin G1 gene expression and DNA synthesis, and partially abrogate the G1 cell cycle delay and the budding defect of the yeast quadruple sap mutant strain. In contrast, the human PP6R proteins only modestly support nitrogen catabolite gene expression and are unable to restore normal levels of eIF2α phosphorylation in the quadruple sap mutant strain. These results illustrate that the human PP6-associated proteins are capable of providing distinct rapamycin-sensitive and Sit4-dependent Sap functions in the heterologous context of the yeast cell. We hypothesize that the human Saps may play analogous roles in mTORC1-PP6 signaling events in metazoans

Synthesis, thermogravimetric and high temperature X-ray diffraction analyses of zinc-substituted nickel manganites

Stoichiometric spinel phases Mn2.352xNi0.65ZnxO4 were prepared by thermal decomposition of mixed oxalate precursor powders Mn0.782aNi0.22ZnaC2O4znH2O (with 0 # a # 0.53) at 900°C. Cation-deficient phases Mn2.352xNi0.65Znxh3d/4O41d were identified in the temperature range 350–500°C. The nonstoichiometric coefficient d was found to strongly depend on the zinc content and the decomposition temperature. We showed that the introduction of zinc into the spinel phase enlarges the stability domain of the structure and inhibits oxidation at least up to 900°C. A cubic single-phase was observed for x # 1.00. The lattice parameter variation of the oxides in the composition range 0 # x # 0.60 can be explained using Poix’s method, in terms of the distribution of Zn21 cations on the tetrahedral sites. However, for higher zinc content (x . 0.6) a detailed analysis of data showed that a small fraction of Zn21 is located on octahedral sites

Absolute dimensions of the low-mass eclipsing binary system NSVS 10653195

Low-mass stars in eclipsing binary systems show radii larger and effective temperatures lower than theoretical stellar models predict for isolated stars with the same masses. Eclipsing binaries with low-mass components are hard to find due to their low luminosity. As a consequence, the analysis of the known low-mass eclipsing systems is key to understand this behavior. We developed a physical model of the LMDEB system NSVS 10653195 to accurately measure the masses and radii of the components. We obtained several high-resolution spectra in order to fit a spectroscopic orbit. Standardized absolute photometry was obtained to measure reliable color indices and to measure the mean Teff of the system in out-of-eclipse phases. We observed and analyzed optical VRI and infrared JK band differential light-curves which were fitted using PHOEBE. A Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation near the solution found provides robust uncertainties for the fitted parameters. NSVS 10653195 is a detached eclipsing binary composed of two similar stars with masses of M1=0.6402+/-0.0052 Msun and M2=0.6511+/-0.0052 Msun and radii of R1=0.687^{+0.017}_{-0.024} Rsun and R2=0.672^{+0.018}_{-0.022} Rsun. Spectral types were estimated to be K6V and K7V. These stars rotate in a circular orbit with an orbital inclination of i=86.22+/-0.61 degrees and a period of P=0.5607222(2) d. The distance to the system is estimated to be d=135.2^{+7.6}_{-7.9} pc, in excellent agreement with the value from Gaia. If solar metallicity were assumed, the age of the system would be older than log(age)~8 based on the Mbol-log Teff diagram. NSVS 10653195 is composed of two oversized and active K stars. While their radii is above model predictions their Teff are in better agreement with models.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 12 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A. Tables 1, 2, 3 and 7 are only available in electronic form at the CDS (Strasbourg

A Three-Year Study of Adult Undergraduate Engineering Students

Adult learners belong to a large group of individuals for whom lifelong learning is both a desire and a necessity and for whom career changes are or will be the norm. This topic is not exclusive to engineering, but impacts many STEM professionals. Adult learners also include those who may have significant family responsibilities, medical issues, work obligations, returning veterans/active service military people, or those who lack financial resources to commit to fulltime studies. While online education opportunities may fill some of the gaps, acquiring an identity as a professional in a field or discipline grows with personal connections. The work to date builds on prior research to understand multiple identities and professional identity development and design approach among undergraduate engineering students aged 25 and over. During this three-year NSF funded study, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from three diverse sites including a large public university (UC Berkeley), a small private university (University of New Haven), and a community college (Cañada Community College). Semi-structured interviews, think-aloud protocols, and a large-scale survey have all contributed to a rich set of data. Results point to the construction of an identity as “other” among adult engineering students in institutions of various types. The data supports the need for engineering education systems to provide systems that support a broad range of students, as well as opportunities for students to work together across generational difference

Acinetobacter Lwofii, an unusual cause of infectious pericarditis complicated with cardiac tamponade: a case report

Bacterial pericarditis can be considered a rare pathology, usually associated with cardiac procedures and, to a lesser extent, with immunosuppression and chronic diseases. The importance of its knowledge lies in the fact that mortality can reach up to 100% in untreated patients. Once diagnosed, pericardiocentesis and administration of intravenous antimicrobial therapy are mandatory for the prevention of its complications, which include cardiac tamponade and sepsis. Here we present an exceptional case of infectious pericarditis due to Acinetobacter Lwoffii in an older adult, which was complicated by pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade

Hide and seek: how PDFs can conceal New Physics

The interpretation of LHC data, and the assessment of possible hints of new physics, require the precise knowledge of the proton structure in terms of parton distribution functions (PDFs). We present a systematic methodology designed to determine whether and how global PDF fits might inadvertently 'fit away' signs of new physics in the high-energy tails of the distributions. We showcase a scenario for the High-Luminosity LHC, in which the PDFs may completely absorb such signs of new physics, thus biasing theoretical predictions and interpretations. We discuss strategies to single out the effects in this scenario, and disentangle the inconsistencies that stem from them. Our study brings to light the synergy between the high luminosity programme at the LHC and future low-energy non-LHC measurements of large-$x$ sea quark distributions. The analysis code used in this work is made public so that any users can test the robustness of the signal associated to a given BSM model against absorption by the PDFs.Comment: 48 pages, 23 figure