New Insights Into the Role of Qa-2 and HLA-G Non-classical MHC-I Complexes in Malignancy

It is well established that the immune system can identify and destroy neoplastic transformed cells in a process known as immunosurveillance. Most studies have focused on the classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ia molecules, which are known to play an important role on the presentation of tumor antigens to the immune system in order to activate a response against tumor cells. However, a larger family of non-classical MHC class Ib-related molecules has received less attention. In this mini-review, we discuss the role of class Ib murine Qa-2 and its proposed human HLA-G homolog on immunosurveillance during embryogenesis and cancer. Whereas, both HLA-G and Qa-2 are involved in immune tolerance in pregnancy, the current evidence suggests that they play opposite roles in cancer. HLA-G appears to promote tumor progression while Qa-2 acts as a tumor suppressor awaking the immune system to reject tumor cells, as suggested by studies on different cancer cell models, such as melanoma, lymphoma, lung carcinoma, and our own results in mammary carcinoma

A neutral-pH aqueous redox flow battery based on sustainable organic electrolytes

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) have gained increasing attention for large-scale storage due to the advantages of decoupled energy and power, safe and sustainable chemistry, and tunability of the redox-active species. Here, we report the development of a neutral-pH AORFB assembled with a highly water-soluble ferrocene 1,1-disulfonic disodium salt (DS−Fc) and two viologen derivatives, 1,1’-bis(3-sulfonatopropyl)-viologen (BSP−Vi) and Bis(3-trimethylammonium)propyl viologen tetrachloride (BTMAP−Vi). Synthesized electrolytes showed excellent redox potential, good diffusion coefficient, and a good transfer rate constant. In particular, BSP−Vi has a more negative redox potential (-0.4 V) than BTMAP−Vi (−0.3 V) and faster kinetics; therefore, it was selected to be assembled in an AORFB as anolyte, coupled with DS−Fc as catholyte.The resulting AORFB based on BTMAP−Vi/DS−Fc and BSP−Vi/DS−Fc redox couple had a high cell voltage (1.2 V and 1.3 V, respectively) and theoretical energy density (13 WhL−1 and 14 WhL−1 respectively) and was able to sustain 70 charge-discharge cycles with energy efficiency as high as 97 %

Infrared finite solutions for the gluon propagator and the QCD vacuum energy

Nonperturbative infrared finite solutions for the gluon polarization tensor have been found, and the possibility that gluons may have a dynamically generated mass is supported by recent Monte Carlo simulation on the lattice. These solutions differ among themselves, due to different approximations performed when solving the Schwinger-Dyson equations for the gluon polarization tensor. Only approximations that minimize energy are meaningful, and, according to this, we compute an effective potential for composite operators as a function of these solutions in order to distinguish which one is selected by the vacuum.Comment: 16 pages, latex file, 1 postscript figure, uses epsf.sty and axodraw.sty. To be published in Phys. Lett.

Efeito da N-acetilcisteína na lesão hepática por isquemia e reperfusão após 30% de hepatectomia em camundongos

PURPOSE: Evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine in liver remnant after hepatectomy associated to ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. METHODS: Male adult BALB/c mice, weighing 20-22g were used. Animals were anesthetized with ketamine (70 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg); received N-acetylcysteine (150 mg/kg, H-IR-NAC group) or vehicle (H-IR group). Surgical procedures were performed under 10X magnification. Partial hepatectomy (30%) was followed by ischemia-reperfusion injury (30 minutes of ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion). Blood sample and liver tissue were removed before animal was euthanized. AST and ALT were evaluated in blood samples and histomorphological analyses were performed in remnant liver. Groups were compared by Mann-Whitney test, and it was considered significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: Biochemical evaluations showed reduced levels of ALT in NAC group (H-IR-NAC=376±127U/l vs H-IR=636±39U/l, p=0.023). AST was similar (p=0.456). H-IR group showed hepatic tissue with preserved architecture, large area of steatosis, vascular congestion and rare mitogenic activity. NAC group showed hepatic tissue with small area of steatosis, vascular congestion and elevated mitogenic activity, evidenced by increased binuclear cells (H-IR-NAC=15.88±0.52 vs H-IR=7.4±0.37, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: N-acetylcysteine promotes enzymatic and morphological protection against hepatectomy and ischemia-reperfusion injury.OBJETIVO: Investigar se a N-acetilcisteína promove proteção do remanescente hepático após ressecção associada à isquemia e reperfusão do fígado em camundongos. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 12 camundongos BALB/c, machos, pesando entre 20-22g. Os animais foram anestesiados com quetamina (70mg/kg) e xilazina (10mg/kg); receberam a N-acetilcisteína (150mg/kg, grupo H-IR-NAC) ou controle (grupo H-IR). Os procedimentos cirúrgicos ocorreram na magnificação de 10X. A lesão por isquemia e reperfusão (30 minutos de isquemia e 60 minutos de reperfusão) foi precedida pela hepatectomia de 30%. Foram utilizados como parâmetro de avaliação: a bioquímica sangüínea (AST e ALT) e a histologia do fígado (coloração de hematoxilina-eosina). Para avaliação estatística empregou-se o teste de Mann-Whitney e o nível de significância foi 5%. RESULTADOS: Na avaliação bioquímica houve redução no nível de ALT no grupo tratado (H-IR-NAC=376±127 U/l vs H-IR=636±39 U/l, p=0,023). AST foi similar (p=0,456). Na histologia, o grupo H-IR apresentou um tecido hepático com arquitetura preservada, com grandes áreas de infiltração gordurosa, presença de congestão vascular e de alguma atividade mitótica; o grupo com a N-acetilcisteína apresentou menor infiltração gordurosa e congestão vascular, maior atividade mitótica, evidenciada pela quantidade elevada de células binucleadas (H-IR-NAC=15,88±0,52 vs H-IR=7,4±0,37, p<0,001). CONCLUSÃO: A N-acetilcisteína promove proteção ao fígado, do ponto de vista morfológico e enzimático, após hepatectomia associada à isquemia e reperfusão.UNIFESP Division of Operative Technique and Experimental Surgery Department of SurgeryUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of SurgeryUNIFESP Division of Histology Department of MorphologySão Paulo University Faculty of Medicine Surgical PhysiopathologyUNIFESP, Division of Operative Technique and Experimental Surgery Department of SurgeryUNIFESP, Department of SurgeryUNIFESP, Division of Histology Department of MorphologySciEL

Increased parasite resistance of greater amberjack (Serbia dumerili Risso 1810) juveniles fed a cMOS supplemented diet is associated with upregulation of a discrete set of immune genes in mucosal tissues

This work has been cofinanced by the “Agencia Canaria de investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información de la Consejería de Economía, Industria, Comercio y Conocimiento” and the European social funding, “Programa Operativo Integrado de Canarias 2014-2020”, as funding for the PhD grant of AFM. This project also received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration (KBBE-2013-07 single stage, GA 603121, DIVERSIFY).Peer reviewedPostprin

QIIP- questionário de interesses para a prática intergeracional

This article presents the validation study of the Questionnaire of interests for intergenerational practice (QIIP), which aims to contribute to the study of interests on a population level as well as supporting the development and implementation of intergenerational activities and programs through its identification. The design of the study is correlational and cross-generational. The QIIP was applied to 385 residents of Oporto, divided into three age groups. The instrument showed to be valid and revealed good internal consistency concerning the identification of the interests of the sample studied and can be analyzed either by dimension of interest, or by activity item of interest, depending on the goals of intergenerational practices that need to be developed. Upon analysis by dimension and age group, it was found that the Dimension Caring/Protecting and the Dimension Culture refer to common interests, shared among the three age groups. On the other hand, it was observed that the younger group differs from the other age groups in the Dimension Art and in the Dimension “Handiwork”, but no significant differences were found in both dimensions between middle-aged adults and older adults. In the Dimension Use of New Technologies, significant differences were registered among all age groups, decreasing in interest as the age increases.Este artículo presenta la validación del instrumento Cuestionario de Intereses para la Práctica Intergeneracional (QIIP), que tiene como objetivo de contribuir al estudio de los intereses la población para el desarrollo e implementación de actividades y programas intergeneracionales. El presente estudio analiza los intereses de las diferentes generaciones siendo QIIP aplicado a 385 personas residentes de la ciudad de Oporto, divididas por tres grupos de edad. El instrumento muestra ser válido y revela tener una buena consistencia interna para la identificación de los intereses de la muestra estudiada y puede ser analizado tanto por dimensión de interés como por ítem de actividad de interés, dependiendo de los objetivos de las prácticas intergeneracionales que se pretendan desarrollar. Después del análisis por dimensión y grupo de edad se verificó que la Dimensión Cuidar / Proteger y la Dimensión Cultura, son dimensiones de interés común y compartidas entre todos los grupos de edad. Por otro lado, se observó que los jóvenes y los adultos jóvenes difieren de los otros grupos de edad, en la Dimensión Arte y en la Dimensión “Trabajos manuales”, pero que no se observan diferencias significativas en ambas dimensiones entre los adultos de mediana edad y los adultos mayores. En la Dimensión Uso de las Nuevas Tecnologías hay diferencias significativas entre todos los grupos de edad, verificándose que a medida que la edad aumenta este interés disminuye

Fixed points and vacuum energy of dynamically broken gauge theories

We show that if a gauge theory with dynamical symmetry breaking has non-trivial fixed points, they will correspond to extrema of the vacuum energy. This relationship provides a different method to determine fixed points.Comment: 17 pages, uuencoded latex file, 3 figures, uses epsf and epsfig. Submitted to Mod. Phys. Lett.

Physical capacity in youth football players of a profesional club

Las características físicas del fútbol son muy diversas, aunque se reconocen como muy importantes la capacidad de realizar esfuerzos de alta intensidad y la de retrasar la fatiga en la mayor medida posible en esfuerzos intermitentes. Son diversos los trabajos que analizan dichas características en el fútbol profesional, aunque son menores los que analizan las categorías de formación. En el presente estudio se analiza la evolución por categorías de pruebas de salto, velocidad, agilidad y resistencia aeróbica específica, en jugadores de fútbol jóvenes de la cantera de un club profesional de la liga española. Se produjo un incremento de las marcas con la edad, aunque no se observaron diferencias significativas en grupos de edad cercanos, produciéndose una meseta en el rendimiento en la fuerza explosiva y velocidad de aceleración a partir de los 17 años y en la velocidad de desplazamiento y agilidad a los 15 añosPhysical characteristics of football are very different, but are recognized as very important the ability to perform high-intensity efforts and to delay fatigue as much as possible in intermittent efforts. There are several studies that analyze these characteristics in professional football but are less those who analyze the categories of training. In the present study analyzes the evolution of categories of jumping, speed, agility and specific endurance in young soccer players from a professional club of the Spanish league. There was an increase of the marks with age, although no significant differences in age groups encircle. Producing a plateau in performance in explosive strength and acceleration speed from 17 years and in speed and agility at age of 1

Effects of ischemic preconditioning and cilostazol on muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

PURPOSE: To evaluate effects of ischemic preconditioning and Cilostazol on muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury.METHODS: Male Wistar rats were submitted to muscle ischemic and reperfusion injury (4h of the left common iliac artery occlusion followed by 1h of reperfusion). Five experimental groups were constituted: Control group (n=4); Ischemia-Reperfusion (IR, n=5); Ischemic preconditioning group (IP, n=6); Ischemia-Reperfusion group treated with cilostazol (IRCi, n=6) and Ischemic preconditioning group treated with cilostazol (IPCi, n=6). At the end, left gracile muscle was removed and embedded in paraffin. Histopathology, neutrophil infiltration, myocyte necrosis and edema were analyzed.RESULTS: When compared with the control group, IR group showed increased neutrophil infiltration, severe necrosis and edema. There was significant difference between myocytes necrosis of IR group and IP group. There was no difference between the histopathological changes between IP, IRCi and IPCi groups.CONCLUSIONS: the model of IR caused severe muscle injury in the rat hind limb and ischemic preconditioning has a protective effect, reducing myocyte necrosis, however, treatment with cilostazol and also the association between cilostazol and preconditioning has no protective effect on the skeletal muscle subjected to ischemia and reperfusion injury.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, Surg Tech Lab, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, Surg Tech Lab, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Evolution of anthocyanin content during grape ripening and characterization of the phenolic profile of the resulting wine by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography

The typical phenolic profile in grapes is characterized by its complexity both in terms of number of diverse chemical structures and their variation during ripening. Besides, the specific phenolic composition of grapes directly influences the presence of those components in the resulting wine. In this contribution, a new method based on the application of comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry has been developed to obtain the typical phenolic profile of Malbec grapes cultivated in Brazil. Moreover, the method has been demonstrated to be useful to study how the phenolic composition in grapes evolved during a 10-week ripening period. Main detected compounds in grapes and in the wine derived from them were anthocyanins, although a good number of polymeric flavan-3-ols were also tentatively identified, among other compounds. Results show how the amount of anthocyanins present in grapes was increased during ripening up to 5–6 weeks and then decreased towards week 9. The two-dimensional approach applied was demonstrated to be useful for the characterization of the complex phenolic profile of these samples, involving more than 40 different structures and has the potential to be further applied to the study of this important fraction is different grapes and wines systematically