Rice Phospholipase A Superfamily: Organization, Phylogenetic and Expression Analysis during Abiotic Stresses and Development

Background: Phospholipase A (PLA) is an important group of enzymes responsible for phospholipid hydrolysis in lipid signaling. PLAs have been implicated in abiotic stress signaling and developmental events in various plants species. Genome-wide analysis of PLA superfamily has been carried out in dicot plant Arabidopsis. A comprehensive genome-wide analysis of PLAs has not been presented yet in crop plant rice. Methodology/Principal Findings: A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis identified a total of 31 PLA encoding genes in the rice genome, which are divided into three classes; phospholipase A 1 (PLA 1), patatin like phospholipases (pPLA) and low molecular weight secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) based on their sequences and phylogeny. A subset of 10 rice PLAs exhibited chromosomal duplication, emphasizing the role of duplication in the expansion of this gene family in rice. Microarray expression profiling revealed a number of PLA members expressing differentially and significantly under abiotic stresses and reproductive development. Comparative expression analysis with Arabidopsis PLAs revealed a high degree of functional conservation between the orthologs in two plant species, which also indicated the vital role of PLAs in stress signaling and plant development across different plant species. Moreover, sub-cellular localization of a few candidates suggests their differential localization and functional role in the lipid signaling. Conclusion/Significance: The comprehensive analysis and expression profiling would provide a critical platform for th

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Cardiovascular and Glycemic Biomarkers

Background Experimental and observational studies have suggested a link between vitamin D and cardiovascular and metabolic disease, but this has not been confirmed in randomized controlled trials. We sought to determine whether vitamin D supplementation reduces biomarkers of insulin resistance, inflammation, neurohormonal activation, and lipids. Methods and Results This was a prespecified, secondary analysis of the DAYLIGHT (Vitamin D Therapy in Individuals at High Risk of Hypertension) randomized controlled trial. We measured circulating homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, hs‐CRP (high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein), N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide, renin, aldosterone, and lipids at baseline and at 6 months in 289 individuals with low vitamin D status (25‐hydroxyvitamin‐D [25‐OH‐D] ≤25 ng/mL) receiving low‐dose (400 IU/d) versus high‐dose (4000 IU/d) vitamin D3 for 6 months. A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials reporting biomarker changes after vitamin D supplementation was then performed. Levels of 25‐OH‐D increased in the high‐dose relative to the low‐dose vitamin D group (+15.5 versus +4.6 ng/mL, P<0.001). Changes in biomarkers of glycemia, inflammation, and neurohormonal activation did not differ by dose. Lipids did not differ between groups, other than triglycerides, which increased in the high‐dose compared with the low‐dose group (+11.3 versus −6.2 mg/dL, P<0.001). The meta‐analysis showed potential modest decreases in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and hs‐CRP, but no changes in low‐density lipoprotein, after vitamin D supplementation compared with control groups. Conclusions In the DAYLIGHT randomized controlled trial, high‐dose vitamin D supplementation did not improve biomarkers of glycemia, inflammation, neurohormonal activation, or lipids. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01240512

Atomistic modeling for the extremely low and high temperature-dependent yield strength in a Ni-based single crystal superalloy

Understanding the temperature-dependent yield strength of Ni-based single crystal superalloys is of great significance for their microstructural design and engineering applications. In this Communication, from an atomistic perspective, the yield strength of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy varying with temperature, especially at extremely low (−272 °C) and high (1227 °C) temperatures, has been investigated. The atomic-scale mechanisms are elaborated by extracting several types of dislocation activities at various temperatures. The anomalous behavior of yield strength dominated by the atomic-scale dislocation evolution is visualized in Ni-based single crystal superalloys

E-waste Management and the Conservation of Geochemical Scarce Resources

Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) generates very complex waste due to the wide variety of components such as metals, polymers, ceramic materials, and composite elements. In addition, the growing consumption of these devices due to technological development increases the rate they are disposed of. When improperly disposed of, waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) may trigger environmental impacts and negative effects on health. Also, the expansion of the electronic industry is based on the extraction of natural resources, some of which are running increasingly scarce. In this scenario, recycling stands as an alternative in the effort to recover economically interesting materials such as metals, which are abundant in waste electric and electronic equipment. This text discusses the current scenario in the electrical and electronic equipment industry and generation of waste electric and electronic equipment considering the implications of resource management and environment, social, and economic impact in this production chain