Dissecting the Physiological Function of Plant Glyoxalase I and Glyoxalase I-Like Proteins

The Arabidopsis genome annotation include 11 glyoxalase I (GLXI) genes, all encoding for protein members of the vicinal oxygen chelate (VOC) superfamily. The biochemical properties and physiological importance of three Arabidopsis GLXI proteins in the detoxification of reactive carbonyl species has been recently described. Analyses of phylogenetic relationships and conserved GLXI binding sites indicate that the other eight GLXI genes (GLXI-like) do not encode for proteins with GLXI activity. In this perspective article we analyse the structural features of GLXI and GLXI-like proteins, and explore splice forms and transcript abundance under abiotic stress conditions. Finally, we discuss future directions of research on this topic with respect to the substrate identification of GLXI and GLXI-like proteins and the need of reliable quantitative measurements of reactive carbonyl species in plant tissues

Genetic Polymorphisms of Interleukin-1 Alpha and the Vitamin D Receptor in Mexican Mestizo Patients with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the most common diagnosis in patients with back pain, a leading cause of musculoskeletal disability worldwide. Several conditions, such as occupational activities, gender, age, and obesity, have been associated with IDD. However, the development of this disease has strong genetic determinants. In this study, we explore the possible association between rs1800587 (c.-949C>T) of interleukin-1 alpha (IL1A) and rs2228570 (c.2T>V) and rs731236 (c.1056T>C) of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and the development of IDD in northwestern Mexican Mestizo population. Gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism, in two groups matched by age and gender: patients with symptomatic lumbar IDD (n = 100) and subjects with normal lumbar-spine MRI-scans (n = 100). Distribution of the mutated alleles in patients and controls was 27.0% versus 28.0% (P = 0.455) for T of rs1800587 (IL1A); 53.0% versus 58.0% (P = 0.183) for V of rs2228570 (VDR); and 18.0% versus 21.0% (P = 0.262) for C of rs731236 (VDR). Our results showed no association between the studied polymorphisms and IDD in this population. This is the first report on the contribution of gene polymorphisms on IDD in a Mexican population

Análise quali-quantitativa da arborização urbana em Lages, SC

This study aimed at quali-quantitatively characterizing the urban trees in the city center of Lages, SC. Thirty two roads were sampled for this purpose, where all trees with CBH (circumference at breast height, measured at height of 1.30 m) equal or longer than 15 cm were identified, measured and evaluated. The species were classified as native of Lages region or exotic. The Pielou evenness (J) and Shannon-Wiener (H’) indexes were calculated. The results showed that only 37.5% of the roads (12) presented trees, where a total of 149 individuals belonging to 13 species were inventoried. From all species found, only three (23.08%) were native from Lages region, while 10 were classified as exotic (76.92%). There was an irregular distribution of individuals per species, resulting in an elevated dominance (J = 0.49) with a great abundance mainly of Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton. The large percentage of this species in relation to the small amount of species planted contributes to the small diversity of the arborization (H’ = 1.25). Most species are large in size, which may consequently cause interference in urban elements in the future. At the time of assessment, 6.04% of the trees interfered with the pedestrian transit, 0.67% with buildings’ walls, 8.05% with electric wires and 28.86% with sidewalks. The use of inappropriate species for urban road environments contributes to this pattern.O estudo objetivou caracterizar quali-quantitativamente a arborização do centro da cidade de Lages, SC. Para isso, foram amostradas 32 ruas, onde todos os indivíduos arbóreos com CAP (circunferência a altura do peito, medida a 1,30 m do solo) igual ou maior que 15 cm foram identificados, mensurados e avaliados. As espécies foram classificadas como nativas da região de Lages ou exóticas. Foram calculadas a Equabilidade de Pielou (J) e o índice de Shannon-Wiener (H’). Os resultados demonstraram que apenas 37,5% das ruas (12) estavam arborizadas, onde foram inventariados 149 indivíduos pertencentes a 13 espécies. Das espécies encontradas, somente três (23,08%) são nativas da região de Lages, enquanto que 10 são exóticas (76,92%). Houve uma distribuição irregular de indivíduos por espécies, resultando em alta dominância (J = 0,49), com grande abundância, principalmente, de Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton. A alta porcentagem desta espécie, associado ao baixo número de espécies plantadas na arborização, contribuiu para a baixa diversidade (H’ = 1,25). A maioria das espécies é de grande porte e, no futuro, os indivíduos dessas espécies podem causar problemas de interferências nos elementos urbanos. No momento da avaliação, 6,04% das árvores estavam causando interferência no trânsito de pedestres, 0,67% nos muros, 8,05% na fiação elétrica e 28,86% na calçada. O uso de espécies inapropriadas ao ambiente de vias públicas contribui para esse padrão

Neutrophils in Leprosy

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the intracellular bacillus Mycobacterium leprae that mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. One of the most intriguing aspects of leprosy is the diversity of its clinical forms. Paucibacillary patients are characterized as having less than five skin lesions and rare bacilli while the lesions in multibacillary patients are disseminated with voluminous bacilli. The chronic course of leprosy is often interrupted by acute episodes of an inflammatory immunological response classified as either reversal reaction or erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Although ENL is considered a neutrophilic immune-complex mediated condition, little is known about the direct role of neutrophils in ENL and leprosy disease overall. Recent studies have shown a renewed interest in neutrophilic biology. One of the most interesting recent discoveries was that the neutrophilic population is not homogeneous. Neutrophilic polarization leads to divergent phenotypes (e.g., a pro- and antitumor profile) that are dynamic subpopulations with distinct phenotypical and functional abilities. Moreover, there is emerging evidence indicating that neutrophils expressing CD64 favor systemic inflammation during ENL. In the present review, neutrophilic involvement in leprosy is discussed with a particular focus on ENL and the potential of neutrophils as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets

A randomized controlled trial of orthodontist-based brief advice to prevent child obesity

Objective: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether brief exercise and diet advice provided during child patient visits to their orthodontic office could improve diet, physical activity, and age-and-genderadjusted BMI. Methods: We enrolled orthodontic offices in Southern California and Tijuana, Mexico, and recruited their patients aged 8-16 to participate in a two-year study. At each office visit, staff provided the children with "prescriptions" for improving diet and exercise behaviors. Multilevel models, which adjusted for clustering, determined differential group effects on health outcomes, and moderation of effects. Results: We found differential change in BMI favoring the intervention group, but only among male participants (p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.085). Of four dietary variables, only junk food consumption changed differentially, in favor of the intervention group (p = 0.020; d = 0.122); the effect was significant among overweight/obese (p = 0.001; d = 0.335) but not normal weight participants. Physical activity declined non-differentially in both groups and both genders. Conclusion: The intervention, based on the Geoffrey Rose strategy, had limited success in achieving its aims

Legal linked data ecosystems and the rule of law

This chapter introduces the notions of meta-rule of law and socio-legal ecosystems to both foster and regulate linked democracy. It explores the way of stimulating innovative regulations and building a regulatory quadrant for the rule of law. The chapter summarises briefly (i) the notions of responsive, better and smart regulation; (ii) requirements for legal interchange languages (legal interoperability); (iii) and cognitive ecology approaches. It shows how the protections of the substantive rule of law can be embedded into the semantic languages of the web of data and reflects on the conditions that make possible their enactment and implementation as a socio-legal ecosystem. The chapter suggests in the end a reusable multi-levelled meta-model and four notions of legal validity: positive, composite, formal, and ecological

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries