Adverse effects of fullerenes on endothelial cells: Fullerenol C60(OH)24 induced tissue factor and ICAM-1 membrane expression and apoptosis in vitro

We studied the effects of a C60 water suspension at 4 μg/mL (nC60) and the water soluble fullerenol C60(OH)24 at final concentrations of 1–100 μg/mL on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in culture. We found that a 24 hr treatment of HUVECs with C60(OH)24 at 100 μg/mL significantly increased cell surface expression of ICAM-1(CD54) (67 ± 4% CD54+ cells vs. 19 ± 2 % CD54+ cells in control; p < 0.001). In addition, this treatment induced the expression of tissue factor (CD142) on HUVECs (54 ± 20% CD142+ cells vs 4 ± 2% CD142+ cells in control; p = 0.008) and increased exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) (29 ± 2% PS+ cells vs. 12 ± 5% PS+ cells in control; p < 0.001). Analysis of cell cycle and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) showed that both nC60 and C60(OH)24 caused G1 arrest of HUVECs and C60(OH)24 induced significant apoptosis (21 ± 2% TUNEL+ cells at 100 μg/mL of C60(OH)24 vs. 4 ± 2% TUNEL+ cells in control; p < 0.001). We also demonstrated that both nC60 and C60(OH)24 induced a rapid concentration dependent elevation of intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i. This could be inhibited by EGTA, suggesting that the source of [Ca2+]i in fullerene stimulated calcium flux is predominantly from the extracellular environment. In conclusion, fullerenol C60(OH)24 had both pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic effects on HUVECs, indicating possible adverse effects of fullerenes on the endothelium

Academic Arrhythmia: Disruption, Dissonance and Conflict in the Early-Career Rhythms of CMS Academics

Starting a career on the margins of the neoliberal business school is becoming increasingly challenging. We contribute to the understanding of the problems involved and to potential solutions by developing a theoretically-informed approach to the rhythms of academic life and drawing on interviews with 32 Critical Management Studies (CMS) early-career academics (ECAs) in 14 countries. Bringing together Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis (and his concepts of polyrhythmia, eurhythmia and arrhythmia), Zerubavel’s sociology of time, and identity construction literature, we examine the rhythm-identity implications of the recent HE changes. We show how the dynamics between the broader pressures, institutional strategies, and our interviewees’ attempts to reassert themselves are creating a vicious circle of arrhythmia – a debilitating condition characterized by rhythmic disruption, dissonance and conflict. Within the circle, identity insecurity and regulation, CMS ECAs’ identity work, and arrhythmia are mutually co-constructive, so that it is hard for individuals to break out. We consider the possibilities and limitations of individual coping strategies and, drawing out lessons for business schools, advocate for more collective and structural solutions. In so doing, we contribute to the reimagining of business schools as more eurhythmically polyrhythmic places where ECAs of all intellectual orientations have the time to learn and develop

Wax moth (Galleria mellonella) as a bio-indicator model in ecotoxicological studies on cadmium

The proposed research is to select and set up a battery of biomarkers to be applied on the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) as an environmental indicator for assessing the toxicity of cadmium-contaminated areas. This insect specie is traditionally used as a model in many biological and ecological studies because of its easiness breeding in laboratory, repeated generations during the year and its plasticity for developing and optimizing eco-toxicological assays. It is reasonable that multiple bioassays may provide more reliable data to evaluate simultaneously the effects of the environmental conditions on several biological parameters avoiding false positive/negative results. We suppose that antioxidant and detoxification systems play an important role in the defense mechanisms against cadmium and other xenobiotics which endogenously produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in several insects. Therefore, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and ROS production were tested in sixth larval instar of wax moths fed with artificial diet containing 10 and 100 ppm of cadmium. Cadmium contamination resulted in changes of haemolymph enzymatic activities. The activities of SOD and GST were higher in cadmium-treated groups compared to untreated and the content of MDA (indicator of oxidative stress) gave the same results. On the other hand, the activity of CAT showed a slight decrease after cadmium treatment. The production of hydrogen peroxide analyzed by the Amplex Ultra Red assay showed a decrease in cadmium-treated groups compared to untreated. Cadmium reduced larval weight in both applied concentrations and larvae treated by 100 ppm of cadmium showed also a delay in their development. The SOD, GST, CAT and MDA biomarkers showed certain sensitivity to cadmium. We infer from these findings that dietary cadmium activates insect antioxidant enzymatic responses