UPS, XPS, NEXAFS and Computational Investigation of Acrylamide Monomer

Acrylamide is a small conjugated organic compound widely used in industrial processes and agriculture, generally in the form of a polymer. It can also be formed from food and tobacco as a result of Maillard reaction from reducing sugars and asparagine during heat treatment. Due to its toxicity and possible carcinogenicity, there is a risk in its release into the environment or human intake. In order to provide molecular and energetic information, we use synchrotron radiation to record the UV and X-ray photoelectron and photoabsorption spectra of acrylamide. The data are rationalized with the support of density functional theory and ab initio calculations, providing precise assignment of the observed features

0307 Role of vascular mineralocorticoid receptor in renal injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion

IntroductionAcute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as an abrupt decrease (48h) in kidney function. One of the main causes of AKI is ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). AKI is related with high mortality, chronic kidney disease development and cardiac alterations like heart failure and arrhythmias. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonism with spironolactone (Sp) prevents tubular injury and renal dysfunction induced by I/R in the rat. Although there is information supporting a role for aldosterone and MR in kidney injury, it remains unexplored the specific role of the MR expressed in the vasculature in mediating the deleterious effects of aldosterone during renal I/R.ObjectiveTo study the effect of inducing I/R in mice lacking the MR specifically in the endothelial cells or in the vascular smooth muscle cells.MethodsTo test if Sp is also able to prevent renal injury induced by I/R in the mice with the C57BL/6 background (same as MR KO mice) we included three groups of mice: 1) Sham, 2) I/R 20 min and 3) I/R 20 min + Sp pre-treatment. We analyzed the presence of renal dysfunction and inflammatory cytokines. In the MR KO mice, we will analyze the effect of MR deficiency after renal I/R in an acute phase (24h) and in chronic kidney disease development (after 4 weeks). In the acute studies the mechanisms that will be explored include: polarization of macrophages, endothelial injury and oxidative stress. In the chronic studies we will test if the wild type or MR knockout mice develop CKD as a consequence of renal I/R.ResultsMice underwent renal I/R developed injury characterized by increased serum creatinine and urea levels, urinary Hsp72 and elevation in the mRNA of TNF-alpha and MCP-1 pro-inflammatory cytokines. These alterations were prevented by the Sp pre-treatment.ConclusionThe protective effect of Sp against renal I/R that was previously reported in the rat is also observed in the C57BL/6 mice and supports the study of the MR KO mice in the renal I/R setting

Impact of diastolic dysfunction severity on global left ventricular volumetric filling - assessment by automated segmentation of routine cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To examine relationships between severity of echocardiography (echo) -evidenced diastolic dysfunction (DD) and volumetric filling by automated processing of routine cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cine-CMR provides high-resolution assessment of left ventricular (LV) chamber volumes. Automated segmentation (LV-METRIC) yields LV filling curves by segmenting all short-axis images across all temporal phases. This study used cine-CMR to assess filling changes that occur with progressive DD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>115 post-MI patients underwent CMR and echo within 1 day. LV-METRIC yielded multiple diastolic indices - E:A ratio, peak filling rate (PFR), time to peak filling rate (TPFR), and diastolic volume recovery (DVR₈₀- proportion of diastole required to recover 80% stroke volume). Echo was the reference for DD.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LV-METRIC successfully generated LV filling curves in all patients. CMR indices were reproducible (≤ 1% inter-reader differences) and required minimal processing time (175 ± 34 images/exam, 2:09 ± 0:51 minutes). CMR E:A ratio decreased with grade 1 and increased with grades 2-3 DD. Diastolic filling intervals, measured by DVR₈₀or TPFR, prolonged with grade 1 and shortened with grade 3 DD, paralleling echo deceleration time (p < 0.001). PFR by CMR increased with DD grade, similar to E/e' (p < 0.001). Prolonged DVR₈₀identified 71% of patients with echo-evidenced grade 1 but no patients with grade 3 DD, and stroke-volume adjusted PFR identified 67% with grade 3 but none with grade 1 DD (matched specificity = 83%). The combination of DVR₈₀and PFR identified 53% of patients with grade 2 DD. Prolonged DVR₈₀was associated with grade 1 (OR 2.79, CI 1.65-4.05, p = 0.001) with a similar trend for grade 2 (OR 1.35, CI 0.98-1.74, p = 0.06), whereas high PFR was associated with grade 3 (OR 1.14, CI 1.02-1.25, p = 0.02) DD.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Automated cine-CMR segmentation can discern LV filling changes that occur with increasing severity of echo-evidenced DD. Impaired relaxation is associated with prolonged filling intervals whereas restrictive filling is characterized by increased filling rates.</p

In Utero Exposure to Maternal Diabetes Impairs Vascular Expression of Prostacyclin Receptor in Rat Offspring

International audienc

Whole genome sequencing and spatial analysis identifies recent tuberculosis transmission hotspots in Ghana

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is progressively being used to investigate the transmission dynamics of; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; complex (MTBC). We used WGS analysis to resolve traditional genotype clusters and explored the spatial distribution of confirmed recent transmission clusters. Bacterial genomes from a total of 452 MTBC isolates belonging to large traditional clusters from a population-based study spanning July 2012 and December 2015 were obtained through short read next-generation sequencing using the illumina HiSeq2500 platform. We performed clustering and spatial analysis using specified R packages and ArcGIS. Of the 452 traditional genotype clustered genomes, 314 (69.5%) were confirmed clusters with a median cluster size of 7.5 genomes and an interquartile range of 4-12. Recent tuberculosis (TB) transmission was estimated as 24.7%. We confirmed the wide spread of a Cameroon sub-lineage clone with a cluster size of 78 genomes predominantly from the Ablekuma sub-district of Accra metropolis. More importantly, we identified a recent transmission cluster associated with isoniazid resistance belonging to the Ghana sub-lineage of lineage 4. WGS was useful in detecting unsuspected outbreaks; hence, we recommend its use not only as a research tool but as a surveillance tool to aid in providing the necessary guided steps to track, monitor, and control TB

Paleomagnetism of the ~860 Ma Manso dyke swarm, West Africa: implications for the assembly of Rodinia

The West African Craton (WAC) is one of the major cratons in the Rodinia jigsaw puzzle (~1000?750Ma). In the Rodinian models, the position of West Africa is mainly constrained by the assumptionthat it had been a partner of Amazonia since the Paleoproterozoic. Unfortunately, nopaleomagnetic data are available for these cratons when the Rodina supercontinent is consideredtectonically stable (~1000-750 Ma). Thus, every new reliable paleomagnetic pole for the WestAfrican Craton during the Neoproterozoic times is of paramount importance to constrain itsposition and testing the Rodinia models. In this study we present a combined paleomagnetic andgeochronological investigation for the Manso dyke swarm in the Leo-Man Shield, southern WestAfrica (Ghana). The ~860 Ma emplacement age for the NNW-trending Manso dykes is thus wellconstrainedby two new U-Pb apatite ages of 857.2 ± 8.5 Ma and 855 ± 16 Ma, in agreement withbaddeleyite data. Remanence of these coarse-to-fine grained dolerite dykes is carried by stablesingle to pseudo-single domain (SD-PSD) magnetite. A positive baked-contact test, associated to apositive reversal test (Class-C), support the primary remanence obtained for these dykes (13 sites).Moreover, our new paleomagnetic dataset satisfy all the seven R-criteria (R=7). The ~860 MaManso pole can thus be considered as the first key Tonian paleomagnetic pole for West Africa. Wepropose that the West Africa-Baltica-Amazonia-Congo-São Francisco were associated in a longlivedWABAMGO juxtaposition (~1100?800 Ma).Fil: Antonio, Paul Yves Jean. National Research Institute of Science and Technology. Centre de Montpellier; FranciaFil: Baratoux, Lenka. Université Paul Sabatier; FranciaFil: Ferreira Trindade, Ricardo Ivan. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Rousse, Sonia. Université Paul Sabatier; FranciaFil: Ayite, Anani. University Of Ghana; GhanaFil: Lana, Cristiano. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; BrasilFil: Macouin, Melina. Université Paul Sabatier; FranciaFil: Kobby Adu, Emmanuel Williams. University Of Ghana; GhanaFil: Sanchez, Caroline. Université Paul Sabatier; FranciaFil: Silva, Marco. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; BrasilFil: Firmin, Anne Sophie. Université Paul Sabatier; FranciaFil: Martínez Dopico, Carmen Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; ArgentinaFil: Proietti, Arnaud. Centre de Microcaractérisation Raimond Castaing; FranciaFil: Amponsah, Prince Ofori. University Of Ghana; GhanaFil: Asamoah Sakyi, Patrick. University Of Ghana; GhanaEGU General Assembly 2021ViennaAustriaEuropean Geosciences Unio

Reduced transmission of Mycobacterium africanum compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in urban West Africa

Understanding transmission dynamics is useful for tuberculosis (TB) control. A population-based molecular epidemiological study was conducted to determine TB transmission in Ghana.; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates obtained from prospectively sampled pulmonary TB patients between July 2012 and December 2015 were characterized using spoligotyping and standard 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing for transmission studies.; Out of 2309 MTBC isolates, 1082 (46.9%) unique cases were identified, with 1227 (53.1%) isolates belonging to one of 276 clusters. The recent TB transmission rate was estimated to be 41.2%. Whereas TB strains of lineage 4 belonging to M. tuberculosis showed a high recent transmission rate (44.9%), reduced recent transmission rates were found for lineages of Mycobacterium africanum (lineage 5, 31.8%; lineage 6, 24.7%).; The study findings indicate high recent TB transmission, suggesting the occurrence of unsuspected outbreaks in Ghana. The observed reduced transmission rate of M. africanum suggests other factor(s) (host/environmental) may be responsible for its continuous presence in West Africa