Hydrothermal synthesis of α-Zn<inf>2</inf>SiO<inf>4</inf>:V phosphor, determination of oxidation states and structural localization of vanadium ions

© 2016 Elsevier LtdThe monophase morphologically homogeneous phosphor α-Zn2SiO4:V has been produced by the hydrothermal method. With the use of energy-dispersive analysis and X-ray powder diffraction analysis, it was established that the ratio of cations Zn:Si:V corresponded to the formula Zn2Si0.9V0.1O4. The charge state of vanadium ions was determined by the spectroscopic methods. Maxima of the bands in the luminescence spectra correspond to V5+ (523 nm) and V3+ (720 nm) centers. The small width of the EPR signal hyperfine structure components indicates the presence of single V4+ centers, their contribution is not greater than 0.1% of the total vanadium content. The presence of a broad structureless component in the EPR spectrum was explained by the fact that the main amount of the dopant ion was united in the areas containing V5+, V4+ and V3+ ions. V4+ ions and V5+ ions with high probability occupy silicon positions in the lattice

Особенности выявления грибов рода Aspergillus в органах дыхания у больных туберкулезом легких

The objective: to study specific parameters of detection of fungi of the genus Aspergillus in respiratory organs of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.Subjects and Methods. In 2019-2021, the samples of sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage of 520 patients above 18 years old with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV-negative status were tested for molds. Also, all patients had their sputum or BAL tested for acid fast mycobacteria (AFB), cultures of M. tuberculosis (MBT), and DNA of tuberculous mycobacteria.Results. Positive culture results for fungi were obtained in 50/520 (9.62%; 95% CI 7.37-12.45, Wilson test) pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Species identification revealed fungi of the genus Aspergillus in 46/50 (92%) of them.In 37/46 (80.43%; 95% CI 66.83-89.35) patients, a single type (one species of Aspergillus) was identified, in 9/46 (19.57%; 95% CI 10.65-33.17) two types were identified. A. fumigatus (16/37 isolates, 43.24%) and A. niger (13/37 isolates, 35.14%) prevailed among single types of cultures. A. niger + A. flavus (3/9 isolates, 33.33%) was the most frequent combination. The ratio of the effectiveness of methods for detecting fungi such as culture/direct microscopy/galactomannan antigen in serum and BAL was 100/84.78/4.35% and 67.39%, respectively. Thus, BAL is more preferable than serum for detection of galactomannan antigen in patients with tuberculosis.Only in 8/46 (17.4%) patients, bacterial excretion was detected by culture, which is typical for the active phase of the course of tuberculosis. In the remaining 38 (82.6% 95% CI 69.28-90.91) patients, no tuberculous mycobacteria were detected by culture, which was typical of stabilization and cure of tuberculosis.Цель исследования: изучить особенности выявления грибов рода Aspergillus в органах дыхания у больных туберкулезом легких (ТБЛ).Материалы и методы. В 2019-2021 гг. 520 больных в возрасте старше 18 лет с подтвержденным диагнозом ТБЛ и отрицательным ВИЧ-статусом обследовали на наличие плесневых грибов в мокроте или жидкости бронхоальвеолярного лаважа (жБАЛ). Также всем пациентам проведено исследование мокроты или жБАЛ для выявления кислотоустойчивых микобактерий (КУМ), культуры M. tuberculosis (МБТ), ДНК МБТ.Результаты. Положительные результаты культурального исследования на грибы получены у 50/520 (9,62%; 95%-ный ДИ 7,37-12,45, метод Вилсона) больных ТБЛ. При видовой идентификации у 46/50 (92%) из них были выявлены грибы рода Aspergillus. У 37/46 (80,43%; 95%-ный ДИ 66,83-89,35) пациентов идентифицирована монокультура (один вид Aspergillus), у 9/46 (19,57%; 95%-ный ДИ 10,65-33,17) ‒ два вида. В монокультуре преобладали A. fumigatus (16/37 изолятов, 43,24%) и A. Niger (13/37 изолятов, 35,14%). Самым частым сочетанием было A. niger + A. flavus (3/9 изолятов, 33,33%). Соотношение эффективности методов выявления грибов культуральное исследование / прямая микроскопия / антиген галактоманнана в сыворотке крови и жБАЛ было 100/84,78/4,35% и 67,39% соответственно. Это свидетельствует о предпочтении жБАЛ перед сывороткой крови для выявления антигена галактоманнана у больных туберкулезом. Лишь у 8/46 (17,4%) пациентов установлено бактериовыделение методом посева, что характерно для активной фазы течениятуберкулеза. У остальных 38 (82,6%; 95%-ный ДИ 69,28-90,91) анализы на МБТ методом посева были отрицательны, что характерно для фазы стабилизации и излечения туберкулезного процесса

The general fault in our fault lines

Pervading global narratives suggest that political polarization is increasing, yet the accuracy of such group meta-perceptions has been drawn into question. A recent US study suggests that these beliefs are inaccurate and drive polarized beliefs about out-groups. However, it also found that informing people of inaccuracies reduces those negative beliefs. In this work, we explore whether these results generalize to other countries. To achieve this, we replicate two of the original experiments with 10,207 participants across 26 countries. We focus on local group divisions, which we refer to as fault lines. We find broad generalizability for both inaccurate meta-perceptions and reduced negative motive attribution through a simple disclosure intervention. We conclude that inaccurate and negative group meta-perceptions are exhibited in myriad contexts and that informing individuals of their misperceptions can yield positive benefits for intergroup relations. Such generalizability highlights a robust phenomenon with implications for political discourse worldwide

Profiling Synaptic Proteins Identifies Regulators of Insulin Secretion and Lifespan

Cells are organized into distinct compartments to perform specific tasks with spatial precision. In neurons, presynaptic specializations are biochemically complex subcellular structures dedicated to neurotransmitter secretion. Activity-dependent changes in the abundance of presynaptic proteins are thought to endow synapses with different functional states; however, relatively little is known about the rules that govern changes in the composition of presynaptic terminals. We describe a genetic strategy to systematically analyze protein localization at Caenorhabditis elegans presynaptic specializations. Nine presynaptic proteins were GFP-tagged, allowing visualization of multiple presynaptic structures. Changes in the distribution and abundance of these proteins were quantified in 25 mutants that alter different aspects of neurotransmission. Global analysis of these data identified novel relationships between particular presynaptic components and provides a new method to compare gene functions by identifying shared protein localization phenotypes. Using this strategy, we identified several genes that regulate secretion of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and influence lifespan in a manner dependent on insulin/IGF signaling

Neurexin in Embryonic Drosophila Neuromuscular Junctions

Background: Neurexin is a synaptic cell adhesion protein critical for synapse formation and function. Mutations in neurexin and neurexin-interacting proteins have been implicated in several neurological diseases. Previous studies have described Drosophila neurexin mutant phenotypes in third instar larvae and adults. However, the expression and function of Drosophila neurexin early in synapse development, when neurexin function is thought to be most important, has not been described. Methodology/Principal Findings: We use a variety of techniques, including immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, in situ hybridization, and electrophysiology, to characterize neurexin expression and phenotypes in embryonic Drosophila neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Our results surprisingly suggest that neurexin in embryos is present both pre and postsynaptically. Presynaptic neurexin promotes presynaptic active zone formation and neurotransmitter release, but along with postsynaptic neurexin, also suppresses formation of ectopic glutamate receptor clusters. Interestingly, we find that loss of neurexin only affects receptors containing the subunit GluRIIA. Conclusions/Significance: Our study extends previous results and provides important detail regarding the role of neurexin in Drosophila glutamate receptor abundance. The possibility that neurexin is present postsynaptically raises new hypotheses regarding neurexin function in synapses, and our results provide new insights into the role of neurexin i

Hyperactive Neuroendocrine Secretion Causes Size, Feeding, and Metabolic Defects of C. elegans Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Mutants

Bardet-Biedl syndrome, BBS, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with clinical presentations including polydactyly, retinopathy, hyperphagia, obesity, short stature, cognitive impairment, and developmental delays. Disruptions of BBS proteins in a variety of organisms impair cilia formation and function and the multi-organ defects of BBS have been attributed to deficiencies in various cilia-associated signaling pathways. In C. elegans, bbs genes are expressed exclusively in the sixty ciliated sensory neurons of these animals and bbs mutants exhibit sensory defects as well as body size, feeding, and metabolic abnormalities. Here we show that in contrast to many other cilia-defective mutants, C. elegans bbs mutants exhibit increased release of dense-core vesicles and organism-wide phenotypes associated with enhanced activities of insulin, neuropeptide, and biogenic amine signaling pathways. We show that the altered body size, feeding, and metabolic abnormalities of bbs mutants can be corrected to wild-type levels by abrogating the enhanced secretion of dense-core vesicles without concomitant correction of ciliary defects. These findings expand the role of BBS proteins to the regulation of dense-core-vesicle exocytosis and suggest that some features of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome may be caused by excessive neuroendocrine secretion

Взаимодействие фолиевой кислоты с наночастицами серебра

The associates of folic acid (FA) with silver nanoparticles (SNPs) have been formed in situ, using FA both as the reducing agent for Ag (I) and for functionalization of SNPs formed, and also by FA physical adsorption on the previously prepared SNPs. FA effectively reduces Ag(I) to Ag0. Ultrasound accelerates the SNPs' synthesis and promotes formation of monodis-perse particles. SNPs are not formed in medium containing FA and NH3.H20. FA and the products of its oxidation associated with SNPs lose the ability of fluorescence. Isopropyl alcohol is the most efficient solvent for precipitation of FA(SNP) associates from the synthesis medium. SNPs and FA(SNP) associates do not reduce viability of Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma cells and mesenchymal stromal cells.Сформированы ассоциаты фолиевой кислоты (ФК) с наночастицами серебра (НЧАg) in situ, используя ФК одновременно для восстановления Ag(I) и функционализации образующихся НЧAg, а также путем физической адсорбции ФК на предварительно приготовленные серебряные частицы. ФК эффективно восстанавливает Ag(I) до Ag0. Ультразвук ускоряет процесс синтеза и способствует образованию монодисперсных НЧAg, которые не образуются в среде, содержащей ФК и NH3xH2O. ФК и продукты ее окисления, связанные с серебряными частицами, теряют способность флуоресцировать. Изопропанол является наиболее эффективным растворителем для осаждения ассоциата ФК-НЧAg из среды синтеза. НЧAg и ассоциат ФК-НЧAg не снижают жизнеспособность клеток асцитной карциномы Эрлиха и мезенхимальных стволовых клеток

Perturbation Analysis of Heterochromatin-Mediated Gene Silencing and Somatic Inheritance

Repetitive sequences in eukaryotic genomes induce chromatin-mediated gene-silencing of juxtaposed genes. Many components that promote or antagonize silencing have been identified, but how heterochromatin causes variegated and heritable changes in gene expression remains mysterious. We have used inducible mis-expression in the Drosophila eye to recover new factors that alter silencing caused by the bwD allele, an insertion of repetitive satellite DNA that silences a bw+ allele on the homologous chromosome. Inducible modifiers allow perturbation of silencing at different times in development, and distinguish factors that affect establishment or maintenance of silencing. We find that diverse chromatin and RNA processing factors can de-repress silencing. Most factors are effective even in differentiated cells, implying that silent chromatin remains plastic. However, over-expression of the bantam microRNA or the crooked-legs (crol) zinc-finger protein only de-repress silencing when expressed in cycling cells. Over-expression of crol accelerates the cell cycle, and this is required for de-repression of silencing. Strikingly, continual over-expression of crol converts the speckled variegation pattern of bwD into sectored variegation, where de-repression is stably inherited through mitotic divisions. Over-expression of crol establishes an open chromatin state, but the factor is not needed to maintain this state. Our analysis reveals that active chromatin states can be efficiently inherited through cell divisions, with implications for the stable maintenance of gene expression patterns through development

The psychology and policy of overcoming economic inequality

Data and materials’ availability: All data are publicly available for the survey data used (https://osf.io/njd62/) and from the UN Gender Inequality Index (https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads). Financial transaction data were provided through an agreement with Columbia Business School.Recent arguments claim that behavioral science has focused – to its detriment – on the individual over the system when construing behavioral interventions. In this commentary, we argue that tackling economic inequality using both framings in tandem is invaluable. By studying individuals who have overcome inequality, “positive deviants,” and the system limitations they navigate, we offer potentially greater policy solutions.This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (no. 2218595) and by Undergraduate Global Engagement at Columbia University. Additional support was provided to individual researchers from the Columbia University Office of the Provost, Masaryk University Centre for International Cooperation, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Fund from the United States Department of State

One-Way Traffic of a Viral Motor Channel for Double-Stranded DNA Translocation

ABSTRACT Linear double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses package their genome into a procapsid using an ATP-driven nanomotor. Here we report that bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor exercises a one-way traffic property for dsDNA translocation from N-terminal entrance to C-terminal exit with a valve mechanism in DNA packaging, as demonstrated by voltage ramping, electrode polarity switching, and sedimentation force assessment. Without the use of gating control as found in other biological channels, the observed single direction dsDNA transportation provides a novel system with a natural valve to control dsDNA loading and gene delivery in bioreactors, liposomes, or high throughput DNA sequencing apparatus