Atheroembolic renal disease

Atheroembolic renal disease develops when atheromatous aortic plaques rupture, releasing cholesterol crystals into the small renal arteries. Embolisation often affects other organs, such as the skin, gastrointestinal system, and brain. Although the disease can develop spontaneously, it usually develops after vascular surgery, catheterisation, or anticoagulation. The systemic nature of atheroembolism makes diagnosis difficult. The classic triad of a precipitating event, acute or subacute renal failure, and skin lesions, are strongly suggestive of the disorder. Eosinophilia further supports the diagnosis, usually confirmed by biopsy of an affected organ or by the fundoscopic finding of cholesterol crystals in the retinal circulation. Renal and patient prognosis are poor. Treatment is mostly preventive, based on avoidance of further precipitating factors, and symptomatic, aimed to the optimum treatment of hypertension and cardiac and renal failure. Statins, which stabilise atherosclerotic plaques, should be offered to all patients. Steroids might have a role in acute or subacute progressive forms with systemic inflammation

Casarões do centro histórico da cidade de Pelotas, RS, brasil: esculturas em faiança portuguesa

O presente trabalho buscou contribuir para a valorização do patrimônio cultural pelotense com a divulgação de uma pesquisa técnico-científica cujo tema é tão pouco conhecido dos pesquisadores da área de conservação e restauro as esculturas em faiança existentes nas fachadas dos casarões de Pelotas. A estatuária em faiança, por sua vez, é uma pequena parte do grande acervo a céu aberto que possui a cidade histórica de Pelotas, localizada no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Para contribuir com os restauradores pelotenses envolvidos com esta problemática, desenvolveu-se este trabalho que apresenta informações sobre a identificação e a análise do estado de conservação de esculturas em faiança portuguesa existentes na platibanda do casarão Barão de Cacequi, casarão Barão de São Luís e casarão Barão de Butuí, localizados na Praça Pedro Osório, n0. 8,6,2, no Centro Histórico da cidade de Pelotas

Extraction and Partial Characterization of Proteolytic Activities from the Cell Surface of Lactobacillus helveticus Zuc2

Abstract Proteolytic activities were extracted from a dairy Lactobacillus helveticus strain and partially characterized. A first cell envelope proteinase (CEP) was extracted using a high ionic strength buffer, both in the presence and in the absence of Ca 2+ . Moreover, cell treatment by 5 M LiCl allowed for the selective removal of the S-layer protein and CEP, suggesting an enzyme ionic linkage to the cell envelope similar to that observed for the Slayer structure. The enzyme specificity against α s1 -CN (f1–23) showed unusual activity on the Lys 3 -His 4 bond compared with other proteinases of the same species. A second proteinase appeared to be linked to the cell membrane because it was extractable only after membrane disgregation by detergents. Its specificity against CN fractions and α s1 -CN (f1–23) was different from that of the first CEP; moreover, the measured activity was lower than that of CEP

Energy Comparison between a Load Sensing System and Electro-Hydraulic Solutions Applied to a 9-Ton Excavator

With the increasingly stringent regulations on air quality and the consequent emission limits for internal combustion engines, researchers are concentrating on studying new solutions for improving efficiency and energy saving even in off-road mobile machines. To achieve this task, pump-controlled or displacement-controlled systems have inspired interest for applications in offroad working machines. Generally, these systems are derived from the union of a hydraulic machine coupled to an electric one to create compact components that could be installed near the actuator. The object of study of this work is a 9-ton excavator, whose hydraulic circuit is grounded on load sensing logic. The validated mathematical model, created previously in the Simcenter Amesim© environment, represents the starting point for developing electro-hydraulic solutions. Electric components have been inserted to create different architectures, both with open-and closed-circuit layouts, in order to compare the energy efficiency of the different configurations with respect to the traditional load sensing system. The simulations of a typical working cycle show the energy benefits of electrohydraulic solutions that allow for drastically reducing the mechanical energy required by the diesel engine and, consequently, the fuel consumption. This is mainly possible because of the elimination of directional valves and pressure compensators, which are necessary in a load sensing circuit, but are also a source of great energy dissipations. The results show that closed-circuit solutions produce the greatest benefits, with higher energy efficiencies than the open-circuit solution. Furthermore, closed-circuit configurations require fewer components, allowing for more compact and lighter solutions, as well as being cheaper

A Detailed Study of Rainbow Trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) Intestine Revealed That Digestive and Absorptive Functions Are Not Linearly Distributed along Its Length

To increase the sustainability of trout farming,the industry requires alternatives to \ufb01sh-based meals that do not compromise animal health and growth performances. To develop new feeds, detailed knowledge of intestinal morphology and physiology is required. We performed histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis at typical time points of in vivo feeding trials (50, 150 and 500 g). Only minor changes occurred during growth whereas di\ufb00erences characterized two compartments, not linearly distributed along the intestine. The \ufb01rst included the pyloric caeca, the basal part of the complex folds and the villi of the distal intestine. This was characterized by a signi\ufb01cantly smaller number of goblet cells with smaller mucus vacuoles, higher proliferation and higher apoptotic rate but a smaller extension of fully di\ufb00erentiated epithelial cells and by the presence of numerous pinocytotic vacuolization. The second compartment was formed by the proximal intestine and the apical part of the posterior intestine complex folds. Here we observed more abundant goblet cells with bigger vacuoles, low proliferation rate, few round apoptotic cells, a more extended area of fully di\ufb00erentiated cells and no pinocytotic vacuoles. Our results suggest that rainbow trout intestine is physiologically arranged to mingle digestive and absorptive functions along its lengt

Insights into an unexplored component of the mosquito repeatome: Distribution and variability of viral sequences integrated into the genome of the arboviral vector aedes albopictus

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is an invasive mosquito and a competent vector for public-health relevant arboviruses such as Chikungunya (Alphavirus), Dengue and Zika (Flavivirus) viruses. Unexpectedly, the sequencing of the genome of this mosquito revealed an unusually high number of integrated sequences with similarities to non-retroviral RNA viruses of the Flavivirus and Rhabdovirus genera. These Non-retroviral Integrated RNA Virus Sequences (NIRVS) are enriched in piRNA clusters and coding sequences and have been proposed to constitute novel mosquito immune factors. However, given the abundance of NIRVS and their variable viral origin, their relative biological roles remain unexplored. Here we used an analytical approach that intersects computational, evolutionary and molecular methods to study the genomic landscape of mosquito NIRVS. We demonstrate that NIRVS are differentially distributed across mosquito genomes, with a core set of seemingly the oldest integrations with similarity to Rhabdoviruses. Additionally, we compare the polymorphisms of NIRVS with respect to that of fast and slow-evolving genes within the Ae. albopictus genome. Overall, NIRVS appear to be less polymorphic than slow-evolving genes, with differences depending on whether they occur in intergenic regions or in piRNA clusters. Finally, two NIRVS that map within the coding sequences of genes annotated as Rhabdovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the nucleocapsid-encoding gene, respectively, are highly polymorphic and are expressed, suggesting exaptation possibly to enhance the mosquito's antiviral responses. These results greatly advance our understanding of the complexity of the mosquito repeatome and the biology of viral integrations in mosquito genomes