Deposition of Antimicrobial Copper-Rich Coatings on Polymers by Atmospheric Pressure Jet Plasmas

Inanimate surfaces serve as a permanent reservoir for infectious microorganisms, which is a growing problem in areas in everyday life. Coating of surfaces with inorganic antimicrobials, such as copper, can contribute to reduce the adherence and growth of microorganisms. The use of a DC operated air plasma jet for the deposition of copper thin films on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrates is reported. ABS is a widespread material used in consumer applications, including hospitals. The influence of gas flow rate and input current on thin film characteristics and its bactericidal effect have been studied. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy confirmed the presence of thin copper layers on plasma-exposed ABS and the formation of copper particles with a size in the range from 20 to 100 nm, respectively. The bactericidal properties of the copper-coated surfaces were tested against Staphylococcus aureus. A reduction in growth by 93% compared with the attachment of bacteria on untreated samples was observed for coverage of the surface with 7 at. % copper

Benchmarking One-Phase Lipid Extractions for Plasma Lipidomics

A key element of successful lipidomics analysis is a sufficient extraction of lipid molecules typically by two-phase systems such as chloroform-based Bligh and Dyer (B&D). However, numerous metabolomics and lipidomics studies today apply easy to use one-phase extractions. In this work, quantitative flow injection analysis high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied to benchmark the lipid recovery of popular one-phase extraction methods for human plasma samples. The following organic solvents were investigated: methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), 2-propanol (IPA), 1-butanol (BuOH), acetonitrile (ACN) and the solvent mixtures BuOH/MeOH (3:1) and MeOH/ACN (1:1). The recovery of polar lysophospholipids was sufficient for all tested solvents. However, nonpolar lipid classes such as triglycerides (TG) and cholesteryl esters (CE) revealed extraction efficiencies less than 5% due to precipitation in polar solvents EtOH, MeOH, MeOH/ACN, and ACN. Sample pellets also contained a substantial amount of phospholipids, for example, more than 75% of total phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin for ACN. The loss of lipids by precipitation was directly related to the polarity of solvents and lipid classes. Although, lipid recovery increased with the volume of organic solvent, recovery in polar MeOH remains incomplete also for less polar lipid classes such as ceramides. Addition of stable isotope-labeled internal standards prior to lipid extraction could compensate for insufficient lipid recovery for polar lipid classes including lysolipids and phospholipids but not for nonpolar CE and TG. In summary, application of one-phase extractions should be limited to polar lipid classes unless sufficient recovery/solubility of nonpolar lipids has been demonstrated. The presented data reveal that appropriate lipid extraction efficiency is fundamental to achieve accurate lipid quantification

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies from the CHARGE consortium identifies common variants associated with carotid intima media thickness and plaque

Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and plaque determined by ultrasonography are established measures of subclinical atherosclerosis that each predicts future cardiovascular disease events. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data in 31,211 participants of European ancestry from nine large studies in the setting of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium. We then sought additional evidence to support our findings among 11,273 individuals using data from seven additional studies. In the combined meta-analysis, we identified three genomic regions associated with common carotid intima media thickness and two different regions associated with the presence of carotid plaque (P < 5 × 10 -8). The associated SNPs mapped in or near genes related to cellular signaling, lipid metabolism and blood pressure homeostasis, and two of the regions were associated with coronary artery disease (P < 0.006) in the Coronary Artery Disease Genome-Wide Replication and Meta-Analysis (CARDIoGRAM) consortium. Our findings may provide new insight into pathways leading to subclinical atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular events

Causal effect of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 on coronary heart disease

Background--Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) plays an essential role in the fibrinolysis system and thrombosis. Population studies have reported that blood PAI-1 levels are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is unclear whether the association reflects a causal influence of PAI-1 on CHD risk. Methods and Results--To evaluate the association between PAI-1 and CHD, we applied a 3-step strategy. First, we investigated the observational association between PAI-1 and CHD incidence using a systematic review based on a literature search for PAI-1 and CHD studies. Second, we explored the causal association between PAI-1 and CHD using a Mendelian randomization approach using summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies. Finally, we explored the causal effect of PAI-1 on cardiovascular risk factors including metabolic and subclinical atherosclerosis measures. In the systematic meta-analysis, the highest quantile of blood PAI-1 level was associated with higher CHD risk comparing with the lowest quantile (odds ratio=2.17; 95% CI: 1.53, 3.07) in an age- and sex-adjusted model. The effect size was reduced in studies using a multivariable-adjusted model (odds ratio=1.46; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.88). The Mendelian randomization analyses suggested a causal effect of increased PAI-1 level on CHD risk (odds ratio=1.22 per unit increase of log-transformed PAI-1; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.47). In addition, we also detected a causal effect of PAI-1 on elevating blood glucose and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions--Our study indicates a causal effect of elevated PAI-1 level on CHD risk, which may be mediated by glucose dysfunction

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways

Hiidenkivi, ruokaruotsi ja motti?

Tässä tutkielmassa tarkastellaan reaalioiden kääntämistä historiaa käsittelevässä tekstissä. Tutkimusmateriaalina käytetään Eino Jutikkalan ja Kauko Pirisen Suomen historia ­teosta vuodelta 1966 ja sen saksannosta. Tutkimuksessa esitellään erilaisia reaalioiden käännösratkaisuja, joita kääntäjä Annemarie von Harlem on käännöksessään tehnyt. Lisäksi tutkitaan erilaisten reaalioiden käännösratkaisujen vaikutusta kokonaisuuteen ja teoksen välittämään kuvaan vieraasta kulttuurista. Tutkielmassa on käytetty deskriptiivistä tutkimusmenetelmää, joka soveltuu hyvin valmiin käännöksen tarkastelemiseen. Tutkimus toteutettiin vertailemalla alkuperäisteosta ja käännöstä ja kuvailemalla reaalioiden vastineratkaisuja. Käännösratkaisut luokiteltiin analyysissa teoriaosuuden reaalioiden käännösmallien perusteella. Analysoinnissa ei otettu huomioon ainoastaan yksittäisten reaalioiden käännösratkaisuja vaan myös konteksti, jossa ne esiintyivät. Tutkimusote oli kvalitatiivinen, koska tutkimusmateriaali on verrattain suppea laajamittaiseen yleistettävyyteen. Analyysin perusteella saatiin runsaasti tietoa reaalioiden kääntämisestä historiaa käsittelevässä tekstissä. Kääntäjä Annemarie von Harlem oli käyttänyt erilaisia ratkaisuja hyvin monipuolisesti ja kontekstin huomioon ottaen. Teos välittää saksalaiselle lukijalle suomalaista kulttuuria ja historiaa ymmärrettävästi mutta säilyttää myös kulttuurin erityispiirteitä ja paikallisväriä. Kääntäjä voi vaikuttaa käännöksen synnyttämiin mielikuviin vieraasta kulttuurista käyttämällä vieraita piirteitä säilyttäviä käännösmenetelmiä. Näitä ovat muun muassa selittävät käännösratkaisut ja suorien lainojen käyttö. Esimerkiksi aukkoratkaisuja suositellaan sen sijaan välttämään, koska ne eliminoivat kulttuuripiirteet. Erilaisten käännösratkaisujen käyttö riippuu kuitenkin kontekstista. Kokonaisuus syntyy reaalian käännösratkaisun ja kontekstin yhteisvaikutelmasta. Ne täydentävät toinen toisiaan. Jotta käännöksestä syntyvä vaikutelma olisi optimaalinen, kääntäjän täytyy tehdä ratkaisunsa tietoisesti ja perustellusti. Avainsanat: Reaalia, kulttuurispesifisyys, kääntäminen, historia, vierau