Alterations in protein P53 expression during the development of pressure overload-induced left ventricular hypertrophy in rats

The relation between myocardial structural and functional changes and p53 proteins during the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether p53 protein expression is altered during development of LVH, induced by pressure overload. LVH was induced in 80 male Wistar adult rats by abdominal aortic banding (AAB) and was monitored at the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 35th and 45th post-operation days by echocardiography and validated by postmortem examination. Sham operated (SO) rats (n=60) went the same operation without banding. The expression of p53 protein in the nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts from left ventricular tissue from AAB and SO rats were analyzed by immunoblotting at each of the pointed days. Relative to SO, echo-left ventricular mass-to-tibia length (LVM/TL) ratio in AAB increased progressively on the 10th and the 15th day. On the 20th day we observed a short lasting regression of LVH, followed by a new marked increase on the 25th and 35th day; then there was presented a plateau. Relative to SO the changes in LV%FS (77% ± 2.2 %) in AAB rats remained at the same level throughout the studied period without significant differences in body weight or tibia length (TL). Results from echocardiography were validated by necropsy. Echo LVM/TL correlated significantly with actual heart weight-to-tibia length ratio (r=0.69, P<0.0001, n=140). The level of p53 protein expression in the nuclear extracts from LV tissues obtained from AAB rats increased significantly by 77%, 78%, 35% and 63% at day 10th, 20th, 35th and 45th, respectively compared with SO, and returned to SO levels by day 15th and 25th post-operation. The highest level of p53 protein in the nuclear extracts from LV tissues obtained from AAB rats was determined on 20th day concomitant with significant reduction of the actual heart mass in the group with AAB rats, compared with the same groups on the other days. In the cytozol the expression of p53 was always higher in the SO, compared with AAB groups. Furthermore, the level of p53 protein in the nuclear extracts from AAB rats significantly correlated with the actual heart weight during the studied period (r= -0.59, P<0.0001, n=60). Following the development of LVH over a relatively long period of time and providing the changes in short intervals, it was found a short lasting regression during ongoing pressure overload concomitant with significantly increased expression of p53 protein in the nuclear extracts from AAB rats. This study adds new important concepts for the time dependency of LVH and suggests that p53 protein may modulate the adaptive growth of pressure overload induced LVH

Composición lipídica de diferentes partes del fruto del aguaymanto (Physalis peruviana L.) y valorización de residuos de semillas y cáscaras

The consumption of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruit (CG), fresh or processed, is gaining popularity worldwide, due to its nutritional and medicinal benefits. This study was based on the analysis of the lipid fraction of different parts of CG fruit and on further valorization of the resulting CG waste. The content of glyceride oil in CG seeds, peels and seed/peel waste, as well as the individual fatty acid, sterol and tocopherol composition of the oils was determined. CG seeds and seed/peel waste were a rich source of oil (up to 22.93%), which is suitable for nutritional application, due to its high proportions of unsaturated fatty acids (up to 83.77%), sterols (campesterol, Δ5-аvenasterol, β-sitosterol) and tocopherols (β-, δ- and γ-tocopherols). Seed/peel waste and the extracted seed cakes contained macro- and microminerals (K, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) which are important for human and animal nutrition. Seed cakes had relatively high protein (24.32%) and cellulose (42.94%) contents, and an interesting amino acid profile. The results from the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the composition of CG fruit, and might be of practical relevance in the development of functional foods and feeds.El consumo del aguaymanto (Physalis peruviana L.), fresco o procesado, está ganando popularidad en todo el mundo debido a sus beneficios nutricionales y medicinales. Este estudio se basó en el análisis de la fracción lipídica de diferentes partes de la fruta y en una mayor valorización de los desechos resultantes. Se determinó el contenido de la fracción glicerídica en semillas, cáscaras y residuos de semillas/cáscaras, así como la composición individual de ácidos grasos, esteroles y tocoferoles de los aceites. Las semillas de aguaymanto y los residuos de semillas/cáscaras fueron una rica fuente de aceite (hasta 22,93%), adecuados para un uso nutricional, debido a las altas proporciones de ácidos grasos insaturados (hasta 83,77%), esteroles (campesterol, Δ5-avenasterol, β-sitosterol) y tocoferoles (β-, δ- y γ-tocoferol). Los residuos de semillas/cáscaras y los residuos desengrasados de semillas extraídos (tortas) contenían macro y microminerales (K, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) importantes para la nutrición humana y animal. Las tortas de semillas tenían un contenido relativamente alto de proteínas (24,32%) y celulosa (42,94%), y un perfil de aminoácidos interesante. Los resultados del estudio contribuyen a una comprensión más profunda de la composición del aguaymanto y pueden ser de relevancia práctica en el desarrollo de alimentos y alimentos funcionales

Biochemical, histological and histochemical changes in Aristichthys nobilis Rich. liver exposed to thiamethoxam

Background and purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the insecticide thiamethoxam on some biochemical, histological and histochemical parameters of bighead carp liver (Aristichthys nobilis), which is an economically important fish species for aquaculture. Materials and methods: Different increasing concentrations of 6.6 mg l-1, 10 mg l-1 and 20 mg l-1 of the test chemical under laboratory conditions were tested for their toxicity on fish for 96. The hepatic activity of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) were measured. In addition, the hepatic histological structure was observed for alterations, as well as the lipid content was observed by histochemical staining. Results: It was determined that the enzymatic activity of the exposed fish was increased compared to the control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the enzymatic activity was increased proportionally to the increasing thiamethoxam concentrations. The histological lesions, which were observed in the liver parenchyma, were degenerative and necrotic. The degenerative alterations were as follows: granular, balloon and fatty degeneration. The necrotic alterations in the fish liver were associated with presence of karyopyknosis, karyorrehsis and karyolysis, respectively. The histological alterations in the liver blood vessels were hyperemia and lymphocyte proliferation. Along with the established histological changes in the liver parenchyma, we found presence of fatty degeneration in the hepatocytes using Sudan III staining on cryostat sections. Conclusions: Our study shows that there is a relation between the concentration of the insecticide and biochemical changes, as well the severity of expression of the histological and histochemical alterations in the bighead carp liver. Overall, such experiments could be successfully applied in research and monitoring programs to study the effects of pesticides on fish

Kitaev interactions between j=1/2 moments in honeycomb Na2IrO3 are large and ferromagnetic: insights from ab initio quantum chemistry calculations

Na$_2$IrO$_3$, a honeycomb 5$d^5$ oxide, has been recently identified as a potential realization of the Kitaev spin lattice. The basic feature of this spin model is that for each of the three metal-metal links emerging out of a metal site, the Kitaev interaction connects only spin components perpendicular to the plaquette defined by the magnetic ions and two bridging ligands. The fact that reciprocally orthogonal spin components are coupled along the three different links leads to strong frustration effects and nontrivial physics. While the experiments indicate zigzag antiferromagnetic order in Na$_2$IrO$_3$, the signs and relative strengths of the Kitaev and Heisenberg interactions are still under debate. Herein we report results of ab initio many-body electronic structure calculations and establish that the nearest-neighbor exchange is strongly anisotropic with a dominant ferromagnetic Kitaev part, whereas the Heisenberg contribution is significantly weaker and antiferromagnetic. The calculations further reveal a strong sensitivity to tiny structural details such as the bond angles. In addition to the large spin-orbit interactions, this strong dependence on distortions of the Ir$_2$O$_2$ plaquettes singles out the honeycomb 5$d^5$ oxides as a new playground for the realization of unconventional magnetic ground states and excitations in extended systems.Comment: 13 pages, 2 tables, 3 figures, accepted in NJ

STATUS OF APPLYING OF INTERNATIONAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT STANDARDS IN UKRAINE

National standards harmonized with international, which are fundamental for the creation of efficient energy management systems. However, the requirements of Directive 2012/27 / EU fully expedient is to harmonize all the ISO 50000 series of standards, as well as the related series of standards EN 16247 (energy audits), ISO 11011 (evaluation of the energy efficiency of compressed air systems), ISO / ASME 14414 (evaluation energy pump installations), ISO 80000-1 and IEC 60027 series (scientific and mathematical quantities and their units, letter symbols), ISO / IEC / TS 17022 (requirements and recommendations for the content of the report of the Audit management system, conducted by a third party), ISO / IEC / TS 17023 (installation for determining the duration of the certification audits of management systems), ISO / TR 16344 (terms, definitions and symbols to assess the energy performance and energy certification of buildings), ISO 16818 (the terminology of energy efficiency in the design of engineering systems of buildings) , ISO 17747 (determination of the energy saving potential in organizations), ISO / IEC guide 98-3 (guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement).National standards harmonized with international, which are fundamental for the creation of efficient energy management systems. However, the requirements of Directive 2012/27 / EU fully expedient is to harmonize all the ISO 50000 series of standards, as well as the related series of standards EN 16247 (energy audits), ISO 11011 (evaluation of the energy efficiency of compressed air systems), ISO / ASME 14414 (evaluation energy pump installations), ISO 80000-1 and IEC 60027 series (scientific and mathematical quantities and their units, letter symbols), ISO / IEC / TS 17022 (requirements and recommendations for the content of the report of the Audit management system, conducted by a third party), ISO / IEC / TS 17023 (installation for determining the duration of the certification audits of management systems), ISO / TR 16344 (terms, definitions and symbols to assess the energy performance and energy certification of buildings), ISO 16818 (the terminology of energy efficiency in the design of engineering systems of buildings) , ISO 17747 (determination of the energy saving potential in organizations), ISO / IEC guide 98-3 (guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement)

NEW PRODUCT FROM BULGARIAN ROSE

The chemical composition of extract from rosa (Rosa damascena Mill.) by extraction with tetrafluoroethane was analyzed using GC and GC/MS. The main compounds (concentration higher than 3%) of extract were: phenylethyl alcohol (59.08%) and citronellol (12.31%).The chemical composition of extract from rosa (Rosa damascena Mill.) by extraction with tetrafluoroethane was analyzed using GC and GC/MS. The main compounds (concentration higher than 3%) of extract were: phenylethyl alcohol (59.08%) and citronellol (12.31%)

Influenza della microstruttura sulla resistenza a fatica di un acciaio sinterizzato al cromo prodotto con la polvere prelegata Astaloy CrL

Il comportamento a fatica di acciai sinterizzati al cromo, prodotti con la polvere base Astaloy CrL,è stato studiato in funzione della densità al verde, della temperatura di sinterizzazione e dellamicrostruttura, che varia con la percentuale di carbonio, con il trattamento di tempra o di cementazione.La cementazione è stata condotta sia in gas che in plasma, in impianti industriali ottimizzando i rispettiviparametri. La resistenza a fatica, determinata su campioni intagliati, aumenta poco con la temperaturadi sinterizzazione e molto di più con la densità al verde. Essa inoltre migliora passando da unamicrostruttura bainitica inferiore, ad una martensitica distesa. Con la cementazione, la resistenza a faticaaumenta ulteriormente. La differenza fra cementazione in plasma e cementazione in gas, malgradola migliore microstruttura degli strati superficiali, non è particolarmente marcata

Xanthates: Metabolism by Flavoprotein-Containing Monooxygenases and Antimycobacterial Activity.

Ethionamide (ETH) plays a central role in the treatment of tuberculosis in patients resistant to the first-line drugs. The ETH, thioamide, and thiourea class of antituberculosis agents are prodrugs that are oxidatively converted to their active S-oxides by the mycobacterial flavin-dependent monooxygenase (EtaA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, thus initiating the chain of reactions that result in inhibition of mycolic acid biosynthesis and cell lysis. As part of a search for new lead candidates, we report here that several xanthates are oxidized by purified EtaA to S-oxide metabolites (perxanthates), which are implicated in the antimycobacterial activity of these compounds. This process, which is analogous to that responsible for activation of ETH, is also catalyzed by human flavoprotein monooxygenase 3. EtaA was not inhibited in a time-dependent manner during the reaction. Xanthates with longer alkyl chains were oxidized more efficiently. EtaA oxidized octyl-xanthate (Km = 5 µM; Vmax = 1.023 nmolP/min; kcat = 5.2 molP/min/molE) more efficiently than ETH (194 µM; 1.46 nmolP/min; 7.73 nmolP/min/molE, respectively). Furthermore, the in vitro antimycobacterial activity of four xanthates against M. tuberculosis H37Hv was higher (minimum inhibitory concentration of around 1 µM) than that of ETH (12 µM)

Absence of intraocular infections after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at a single center: The experience with current preventive regimens

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of intraocular infections after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Methods: The study design was a single institutional retrospective noncomparative cohort of 135 consecutive patients in 2006 and 2007 who underwent allo-SCT for hematological malignancy. The primary outcome wa