Presynaptic nicotinic modulation of neurotransmitter release in the central nervous system

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN028580 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) induces autophagy in osteoblast precursor 3T3-L1

Autophagy is an essential cellular homeostatic mechanism by which intracellular components are delivered into the lysosomes for degradation and recycling. Autophagy has been related with a diversity of pathological or physiological dentary processes such as bone remodeling, skeletal aging, osteoclastogenesis, osteoblastogenesis and different types of oral cancer. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), isolated from autologous blood, is a plasma preparation containing a higher concentration of platelets which contains numerous different growth factors and cytokines that activate several cellular signaling cascades. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of PRP on autophagy stimulation in both osteoblast precursor 3T3-L1 and non-related osteoblastic cells. Our results showed that PRP can increase the number of autophagic structures in 3T3-L1 and HeLa (cervical cancer cells) cells. Moreover, we have determined by Western blot a rise in the lipidated form of the autophagic protein LC3 (i.e. LC3-II) upon PRP treatment. Taken together, our results suggest that PRP is able to induce a strongly autophagy response in osteoblast precursor and, to a lesser extent, in non-related osteoblastic cells, suggesting that PRP could be a potential therapeutic tool for some autophagy-related diseases associated with bone homeostasis.Fil: Carminati, Sergio Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Barbosa, María Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Fader Kaiser, Claudio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

Non-resonant permittivity measurement methods

The measurement of the dielectric properties of materials has been applied in non-destructive tests, humidity measurement, soil analysis and even cancer detection. The methods have been developed for over 70 years based on the interaction of the electromagnetic waves with the material under test. This work presents a general model of scattering parameters for non-resonant methods of transmission/reflection and single-port reflection. Equations for determining permittivity are obtained. New equations for short-circuited load and coupled load in the double reflection method are presented

Differences in demersal community structure and biomass size spectra within and outside the Maltese Fishery Management Zone (FMZ)

We examined the protection effect of a long-established fisheries protection zone by studying the demersal communities and the biomass size spectra of specific taxonomic groups. The results and the relevant management implications of the community analysis are discussed within the context of the MEDITS trawl survey program, from which the data was derived. The demersal fishery resources on the muddy bottoms of Maltese trawling grounds were found to be stratified in four main depth ranges: 83 to 166 m (outer continental shelf), 140 to 230 m (shelf break), 270 to 440 m (shallow slope), and 466 to 701 m (deep slope). Significant differences were detected between the inside and outside zones of the outer continental shelf. Stations from this stratum inside the protected zone had twice as much biomass as those outside as well as larger individuals of some species (e.g. elasmobranchs). The depth strata identified do not coincide with those sampled in existing trawl survey programmes in the Sicilian Channel, which were set up without reference to demersal assemblage structure and its relation to depth. It is therefore clear that characterisation of the biotic assemblages is important in order to obtain a better sampling representation of each depth-stratum/assemblage type, and this should be considered in the survey design.peer-reviewe

Cluster Catalysis with Lattice Oxygen: Tracing Oxygen Transport from a Magnetite(001) Support onto Small Pt Clusters

Oxidation catalysis on reducible oxide-supported small metal clusters often involves lattice oxygen. In the present work, we trace the path of lattice oxygen from Fe3O4(001) onto small Pt clusters during the CO oxidation, aiming at differentiating whether the reaction takes place at the cluster/support interface or on the cluster. While oxygen vacancies form on many other supports, magnetite maintains its surface stoichiometry upon reduction thanks to a high cation mobility. In order to investigate whether size-dependent oxygen affinities play a role, we study two specific cluster sizes, Pt5 and Pt19. By separating different reaction steps in our experiment, lattice oxygen can be accumulated on the clusters. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and sophisticated pulsed valve experiments indicate that the CO oxidation takes place on the Pt clusters rather than at the interface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) shows a decrease in apparent height of the clusters, which density functional theory (DFT) explains as a restructuring following lattice oxygen reverse spillover

Key Contributions by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Towards New and Better Drugs for Tropical Diseases

Thanks to its expertise in clinical research, epidemiology, infectious diseases, microbiology, parasitology, public health, translational research and tropical medicine, coupled with deeply rooted partnerships with institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has been a key contributor in many drug research and development consortia involving academia, pharma and product development partnerships. Our know-how of the maintenance of parasites and their life-cycles in the laboratory, plus our strong ties to research centres and disease control programme managers in LMICs with access to field sites and laboratories, have enabled systems for drug efficacy testing in vitro and in vivo, clinical research, and modelling to support the experimental approaches. Thus, Swiss TPH has made fundamental contributions towards the development of new drugs – and the better use of old drugs – for neglected tropical diseases and infectious diseases of poverty, such as Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, food-borne trematodiasis (e.g. clonorchiasis, fascioliasis and opisthorchiasis), human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and tuberculosis. In this article, we show case the success stories of molecules to which Swiss TPH has made a substantial contribution regarding their use as anti-infective compounds with the ultimate aim to improve people’s health and well-being

Identification of a New Chemical Class of Antimalarials

The increasing spread of drug-resistant malaria strains underscores the need for new antimalarial agents with novel modes of action (MOAs). Here, we describe a compound representative of a new class of antimalarials. This molecule, ACT-213615, potently inhibits in vitro erythrocytic growth of all tested Plasmodium falciparum strains, irrespective of their drug resistance properties, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the low single-digit nanomolar range. Like the clinically used artemisinins, the compound equally and very rapidly affects all 3 asexual erythrocytic parasite stages. In contrast, microarray studies suggest that the MOA of ACT-213615 is different from that of the artemisinins and other known antimalarials. ACT-213615 is orally bioavailable in mice, exhibits activity in the murine Plasmodium berghei model and efficacy comparable to that of the reference drug chloroquine in the recently established P. falciparum SCID mouse model. ACT-213615 represents a new class of potent antimalarials that merits further investigation for its clinical potentia

Methodology of umbilical cord stem cells obtention and their potential use in dentistry and hematology

Las posibles aplicaciones terapéuticas de las células madre estromales mesenquimales (MSC) han despertado un gran interés en el campo de la ingeniería biomédica como terapia regenerativa. Las MSC son células madre adultas multipotentes que poseen un alto potencial de diferenciación, baja inmunogenicidad, propiedades inmunomoduladoras y capacidad de expansión in vitro eficiente. Las células madre derivadas de cordón umbilical humano (hUC-MSC) pueden diferenciarse a otros tipos celulares y ser utilizadas con fines terapéuticos. En este trabajo mostramos la metodología a través de la cual obtuvimos hUC-MSC, con la finalidad de diferenciarlas dentro del linaje eritropoyético. Así mismo, evaluamos y discutimos el potencial de estas hUC-MSC, en la diferenciación osteoblástica y su aplicación en la práctica odontológica.The possible therapeutic applications of mesenchymal stromal stem cells (MSC) have aroused great interest in the field of biomedical engineering, such as regenerative therapy. MSC´s are multipotent adult stem cells that have a high potential for differentiation, low immunogenicity, immunomodulatory properties and efficient in vitro expandability. Stem cells derived from human umbilical cord (hUC-MSC) can be differentiated into other cell types and may be used for therapeutic purposes. In this work we show the methodology by which we obtained hUC-MSC, in order to differentiate them within the erythropoietic lineage. Likewise, we evaluate and discuss the potential of these hUC-MSC, in osteoblastic differentiation and its application in dental practice.Fil: García Sanmartino, Clara. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de OdontologíaFil: Carminati, Sergio Andrés . Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: Aguilera, Milton Osmar. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histologia y Embriología Mendoza. "Dr. Mario H. Burgos"Fil: Moras, M.. Paris Diderot University (France). Integrated Biology of Red Blood CellsFil: Ostuni, M. A.. Paris Diderot University (France). Integrated Biology of Red Blood CellsFil: Fader Kaiser, Claudio. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histologia y Embriología Mendoza. "Dr. Mario H. Burgos

Estudo do comportamento físico da substituição parcial de agregado miúdo por resíduo de arenito Botucatu em concreto estrutural

Diversos estudos comprovam a viabilidade da incorporação de resíduos da construção civil no concreto, porém existem lacunas em relação a pesquisas sobre a inserção do resíduo de arenito Botucatu e, nesse sentido, este estudo se propõem a analisar o comportamento físico em concreto estrutural. A construção civil utiliza recursos naturais finitos e a inserção dos rejeitos de Botucatu como substituição do agregado natural pode ser conveniente. Nesta análise, os resíduos de arenito foram caracterizados e selecionados para utilização em dosagens de concreto, com proporções de substituição parcial em 10%, 20% e 30% de agregado miúdo. Foram determinados o desempenho no estado fresco quanto ao abatimento. No estado endurecido, foram determinadas, na idade de 28 dias, absorção de água, massa específica e resistência à compressão. Esta por último apresentou valor potencial, respectivamente, conforme proporção de substituição parcial 32,6; 28,6; 30,8 e 29,6 MPa. Observou, de modo estatístico, que a substituição do agregado miúdo, até o teor de 30%, se manteve constante no comportamento físico do concreto estrutural. Palavras-chave: Arenito Botucatu. Agregado Miúdo. Concreto Estrutural. Resistência à Compressão.

Digital soil mapping and its implications in the extrapolation of soil-landscape relationships in detailed scale

O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar a extrapolação das relações solo-paisagem de uma área de referência (AR), por meio de mapeamento digital de solos (MDS), para uma carta topográfica (1:50.000), e comparar os resultados aos obtidos em estudos similares anteriormente desenvolvidos no Brasil. O trabalho consistiu no levantamento de solos, com técnicas convencionais de mapeamento de uma AR de 10 km2 (na escala 1:10.000), para mapear uma área fisiograficamente similar de 678 km2 (na escala 1:50.000), tendo-se utilizado o MDS. A técnica de árvore de decisão (AD) foi utilizada para a construção do modelo preditivo de extrapolação, com base nas classes de solos e em oito atributos de terreno da AR. A validação do MDS, com pontos de observação de campo, resultou em 66,1% de exatidão global e 0,36 de índice kappa. Os solos mais representativos da área foram preditos corretamente, enquanto solos menos representativos e de menor ocorrência na paisagem e, consequentemente, com amostragem reduzida, tiveram sua predição comprometida. A proporção da AR, igual a 1,5% da área total, é um fator limitante à formulação das relações solo-paisagem para representar precisamente a área mapeada por MDS.The objective of this work was to test the extrapolation of soil-landscape relationships in a reference area (RA) to a topographic map (scale 1:50,000), using digital soil mapping (DSM), and to compare these results to those obtained in similar studies previously conducted in Brazil. A soil survey in a 10 km2 RA, using conventional mapping techniques (scale 1:10,000), was made in order to map a 678 km2 physiographically similar area (scale 1:50,000) using DSM. The decision tree technique was employed to build a predictive extrapolation model based on soil classes and eight terrain attributes in the RA. The validation of DSM by application of field observation points resulted in a 66.1% global accuracy and in 0.36 kappa index. The most representative soils in the area were correctly predicted, whereas the less representative and less frequent soils in the landscape (and consequently with reduced sampling) had their prediction compromised. The RA proportion, which equals 1.5% of the total area, is a limiting factor in the formulation of soil-landscape relationships to precisely represent the mapped area by DSM