Pyroelectric Applications of the VDF-TrFE Copolymer

VDF/TrFe pyroelectric sensors have now definitely reached the level of a product. Based on a bidimensional staring array, it can be considered as a whole system with a monolithic technology processed on a silicon substrate provided with the integrated read out circuit. The paper will describe the main procedure dealing with the elaboration of a 32 x 32 focal plane array developed, in the context of the PROMETHEUS PROCHIP European Program (EUREKA), as a passive infrared obstacle detection applied to automotive. Additional experimental data suggest that this microsystem could operate in space environment

Saber Científico e poder instituído como campo de disputas no processo de instalação e gestão da água em Campos dos Goytacazes: o legado da Companhia The Campos Syndicate Limited

In Brazil, in 19th century, systems of water supply and sanitation were installed with foreign private capital. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, this task was given to The Rio de Janeiro City Improvements Company Limited, and in Campos dos Goytacazes, to The Campos Syndicate Limited. Sanitary engineer Saturnino de Brito, native of Campos dos Goytacazes, elaborated city planning projects that would correspond with the concerns for the salubrity of the environment. He was among the most vocal opponents of privatisation of water services, criticising particularly harshly the Campos Syndicate, and revealing the innumerable conflicts that characterised the activities of the company. In this article we shall briefl y analyse some of the debates that the installation of the first water services in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes triggered between the authorities, experts and citizens. We conclude by highlighting some of the key elements of the water supply and sanitation architecture still present in the urban landscape.En Brasil, durante el siglo XIX, los sistemas de abastecimiento y saneamiento de agua fueron implantados por empresas privadas. En Rio de Janeiro, la empresa responsable fue la The Rio de Janeiro City Improvements Company Limited, y en Campos dos Goytacazes la The Campos Syndicate Limited. El ingeniero sanitarista Saturnino de Brito elaboró proyectos urbanísticos que tradujeron su preocupación por la sanidad ambiental. Brito fue uno de los más vigorosos críticos de la privatización de los servicios de agua, sobretodo en relación a la The Campos Syndicate, revelando los innumerables conflictos que marcaron la actuación de esta Compañía. En este artículo analizamos algunos de los debates surgidos sobre el proceso de implantación de los primeros servicios de agua entre el poder público, los especialistas y la población. Por último, resaltamos algunos marcos arquitectónicos destinados al abastecimiento y al saneamiento de la ciudad que aún están presentes en el paisaje urbano.No Brasil, durante o século XIX, a implantação dos sistemas de abastecimento de água e saneamento foi realizada por empresas privadas. Na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, capital da Província do Rio de Janeiro, atuou a empresa The Rio de Janeiro City Improvements Company Limited e na cidade de Campos dos Goytacazes, no norte da mesma Província, a The Campos Syndicate Limited. O engenheiro sanitário Saturnino de Brito elaborou projetos urbanísticos que traduziam a preocupação com a salubridade dos ambientes. Brito foi um dos mais vigorosos críticos da privatização dos serviços de água, sobretudo daqueles prestados pela The Campos Syndicate, revelando os confl itos que marcaram a atuação desta Companhia. Com este artigo, analisamos alguns dos debates oriundos da instalação dos primeiros serviços de água em Campos dos Goytacazes, travados entre poder público, especialistas e a população. Ao final, destacamos alguns dos marcos arquitetônicos destinados ao abastecimento e saneamento da cidade, ainda presentes na paisagem urbana

Cholesterol feeding accentuates the cyclosporine-induced elevation of renal plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1

Cholesterol feeding accentuates the cyclosporine-induced elevation of renal plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. Long-term cyclosporine (CsA) therapy is accompanied by the occurrence of hypercholesterolemia and renal interstitial fibrosis. The present study investigates the effect of dietary cholesterol on CsA-induced lipid disturbances in the rat and on CsA nephrotoxicity. Since plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a major inhibitor of matrix degradation and elevated plasma PAI-1 levels are reported to be associated with increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, PAI-1 was examined in the kidneys of rats fed a sodium-deficient diet, with or without cholesterol. After nine weeks, both diet groups were subdivided into a CsA-treated group and a vehicle-treated group. Although cholesterol feeding significantly aggravated CsA-induced renal function impairment, CsA-induced histological lesions were comparable in both diet groups. Cholesterol feeding significantly decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol irrespective of the treatment, while CsA treatment significantly elevated serum triglycerides irrespective of the diet. Cholesterol feeding alone did not increase the number of infiltrating cells in the renal interstitium. In contrast, in both diet groups CsA treatment caused a significant influx of macrophages, while combined treatment with CsA and cholesterol additionally elevated the number of T-helper cells in the cortex. In all rats, PAI-1 immunostain-ing was found mainly in intracellular vesicles (lysosomes) in proximal tubules, which stained most intensely in fibrotic areas of kidneys from CsA-treated rats. Cholesterol feeding enhanced the CsA-induced elevation of renal PAI-1 immunostaining to a significant level. These results show that, although serum creatinine, PAI-1 staining and cell influx were significantly increased in the cholesterol-fed CsA-treated group compared to the other groups, renal CsA-induced histological lesions were not influenced by cholesterol feeding after short-term (3 weeks) CsA administration. To what extent the more pronounced proximal tubular PAI-1 (inhibitor of matrix degradation) immunostaining in fibrotic areas in the cortex of cholesterol-fed CsA-treated rats contributes to the progression of CsA-induced renal fibrosis remains to be determined

Effect of diaminopropionic acid (Dap) on the biophysical properties of a modified synthetic channel-forming peptide

Citation: Bukovnik, U., Sala-Rabanal, M., Francis, S., Frazier, S. J., Schultz, B. D., Nichols, C. G., & Tomich, J. M. (2013). Effect of diaminopropionic acid (Dap) on the biophysical properties of a modified synthetic achannel-forming peptide. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 10(10), 3959-3966.Channel replacement therapy, based on synthetic channel-forming peptides (CFPs) with the ability to supersede defective endogenous ion channels, is a novel treatment modality that may augment existing interventions against multiple diseases. Previously, we derived CFPs from the second transmembrane segment of the α-subunit of the glycine receptor, M2GlyR, which forms chloride-selective channels in its native form. The best candidate, NK₄-M2GlyR T19R, S22W (p22-T19R, S22W), was water-soluble, incorporated into cell membranes and was nonimmunogenic, but lacked the structural properties for high conductance and anion selectivity when assembled into a pore. Further studies suggested that the threonine residues at positions 13, 17, and 20 line the pore of assembled p22-T19R, S22W, and here we used 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap) substitutions to introduce positive charges to the pore-lining interface of the predicted p22-T19R, S22W channel. Dap-substituted p22-T19R, S22W peptides retained the α-helical secondary structure characteristic of their parent peptide, and induced short-circuit transepithelial currents when exposed to the apical membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells; the sequences containing multiple Dap-substituted residues induced larger currents than the peptides with single or no Dap substitutions. To gain further insights into the effects of Dap residues on the properties of the putative pore, we performed two-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology on Xenopus oocytes exposed to p22-T19R, S22W or its Dap-modified analogues. We observed that Dap-substituted peptides also induced significantly larger voltage-dependent currents than the parent compound, but there was no apparent change in reversal potential upon replacement of external Na⁺, Cl⁻ or K⁺, indicating that these currents remained nonselective. These results suggest that the introduction of positively charged side chains in predicted pore-lining residues does not improve anion-to-cation selectivity, but results in higher conductance, perhaps due to higher oligomerization numbers

Tocopherols, Phylloquinone, Ascorbic Acid, and Sugar Contents in Hydroponically Grown Lettuce

Growing vegetables in controlled environments (CEs), such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical structures, is a rapidly expanding industry in Florida and the United States, especially in nearby urban areas. Although lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is still mostly produced in fields, growing in CEs proximal to urban areas has become increasingly popular because it may facilitate reduced transportation time and associated postharvest degradation. Lettuce is among the top-most consumed vegetables in the United States and could provide some of the nutrition missing in the US diet. This research was planned to understand the levels of some vitamins that are key for human health, including vitamin E (tocopherols), vitamin K1 (phylloquinone), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), in lettuce grown in greenhouse hydroponics. Lettuce germplasm was grown using the hydroponic nutrient film technique system in three greenhouse experiments: at the beginning, middle, and end of the Florida, USA, growing season (from Aug 2020 to Mar 2021). Genetic variation for these vitamins were found among the germplasm tested in the four morphological types of lettuce, romaine, Boston, Latin, and leaf. In addition, a sugar analysis was conducted in this germplasm, of which fructose was the most abundant sugar. A significant genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was observed, indicating that the levels of these compounds, especially vitamins, was environment dependent. However, the presence of certain non-crossover G × E interactions indicates that selecting lettuce in a representative environment could result in new cultivars with higher vitamin content. This research marks the initial steps to improve lettuce for these vitamins, which can contribute to better health of US consumers, not for the highest amount of these compounds in lettuce but for the offset due to its high consumption

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis throughout the Life Cycle of Leishmania braziliensis: Diversity of Expression Profiles among Clinical Isolates

Leishmania is a group of parasites (Protozoa, Trypanosomatidae) responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical forms. Among the factors explaining this phenotypic polymorphism, parasite features are important contributors. One approach to identify them consists in characterizing the gene expression profiles throughout the life cycle. In a recent study, the transcriptome of 3 Leishmania species was compared and this revealed species-specific differences, albeit in a low number. A key issue, however, is to ensure that the observed differences are indeed species-specific and not specific of the strains selected for representing the species. In order to illustrate the relevance of this concern, we analyzed here the gene expression profiles of 5 clinical isolates of L. braziliensis at seven time points of the life cycle. Our results clearly illustrate the unique character of each isolate in terms of gene expression dynamics: one Leishmania strain is not necessarily representative of a given species

Mutation increasing β-carotene concentrations does not adversely affect concentrations of essential mineral elements in pepper fruit

<div><p>Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are prevalent in human populations throughout the world. Vitamin A deficiency affects hundreds of millions of pre-school age children in low income countries. Fruits of pepper (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) can be a major dietary source of precursors to Vitamin A biosynthesis, such as β-carotene. Recently, pepper breeding programs have introduced the orange-fruited (<i>of</i>) trait of the mutant variety Oranzheva kapiya, which is associated with high fruit β-carotene concentrations, to the mutant variety Albena. In this manuscript, concentrations of β-carotene and mineral elements (magnesium, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, zinc, calcium, manganese, iron and copper) were compared in fruit from P31, a red-fruited genotype derived from the variety Albena, and M38, a genotype developed by transferring the orange-fruited mutation (<i>of</i>) into Albena. It was observed that fruit from M38 plants had greater β-carotene concentration at both commercial and botanical maturity (4.9 and 52.7 mg / kg fresh weight, respectively) than fruit from P31 plants (2.3 and 30.1 mg / kg fresh weight, respectively). The mutation producing high β-carotene concentrations in pepper fruits had no detrimental effect on the concentrations of mineral elements required for human nutrition.</p></div

Antimonial Resistance in Leishmania donovani Is Associated with Increased In Vivo Parasite Burden

Leishmania donovani is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Antimonials (SSG) have long been the first-line treatment against VL, but have now been replaced by miltefosine (MIL) in the Indian subcontinent due to the emergence of SSG-resistance. Our previous study hypothesised that SSG-resistant L. donovani might have increased in vivo survival skills which could affect the efficacy of other treatments such as MIL. The present study attempts to validate these hypotheses. Fourteen strains derived from Nepalese clinical isolates with documented SSG-susceptibility were infected in BALB/c mice to study their survival capacity in drug free conditions (non-treated mice) and in MIL-treated mice. SSG-resistant parasites caused a significant higher in vivo parasite load compared to SSG-sensitive parasites. However, this did not seem to affect the strains' response to MIL-treatment since parasites from both phenotypes responded equally well to in vivo MIL exposure. We conclude that there is a positive association between SSG-resistance and in vivo survival skills in our sample of L. donovani strains which could suggest a higher virulence of SSG-R strains compared to SSG-S strains. These greater in vivo survival skills of SSG-R parasites do not seem to directly affect their susceptibility to MIL. However, it cannot be excluded that repeated MIL exposure will elicit different adaptations in these SSG-R parasites with superior survival skills compared to the SSG-S parasites. Our results therefore highlight the need to closely monitor drug efficacy in the field, especially in the context of the Kala-azar elimination programme ongoing in the Indian subcontinent

The Fanconi anemia proteins FANCD2 and FANCJ interact and regulate each other's chromatin localization.

Fanconi anemia is a genetic disease resulting in bone marrow failure, birth defects, and cancer that is thought to encompass a defect in maintenance of genomic stability. Mutations in 16 genes (FANCA, B, C, D1, D2, E, F, G, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, and Q) have been identified in patients, with the Fanconi anemia subtype J (FA-J) resulting from homozygous mutations in the FANCJ gene. Here, we describe the direct interaction of FANCD2 with FANCJ. We demonstrate the interaction of FANCD2 and FANCJ in vivo and in vitro by immunoprecipitation in crude cell lysates and from fractions after gel filtration and with baculovirally expressed proteins. Mutation of the monoubiquitination site of FANCD2 (K561R) preserves interaction with FANCJ constitutively in a manner that impedes proper chromatin localization of FANCJ. FANCJ is necessary for FANCD2 chromatin loading and focus formation in response to mitomycin C treatment. Our results suggest not only that FANCD2 regulates FANCJ chromatin localization but also that FANCJ is necessary for efficient loading of FANCD2 onto chromatin following DNA damage caused by mitomycin C treatment