26 research outputs found
Antibodies against ARHGDIB are associated with long-term kidney graft loss
The clinical significance of nonâHLA antibodies on renal allograft survival is a matter of
debate, due to differences in reported results and lack of largeâscale studies incorporating analysis of multiple nonâHLA antibodies simultaneously. We developed a multiplex nonâHLA antibody assay against 14 proteins highly expressed in the kidney. In
this study, the presence of pretransplant nonâHLA antibodies was corre
Bats in the anthropogenic matrix: Challenges and opportunities for the conservation of chiroptera and their ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes
Intensification in land-use and farming practices has had largely negative effects on bats, leading to population declines and concomitant losses of ecosystem services. Current trends in land-use change suggest that agricultural areas will further expand, while production systems may either experience further intensification
(particularly in developing nations) or become more environmentally friendly (especially in Europe). In this chapter, we review the existing literature on how agricultural management affects the bat assemblages and the behavior of individual bat species, as well as the literature on provision of ecosystem services by bats (pest insect suppression and pollination) in agricultural systems. Bats show highly variable responses to habitat conversion, with no significant change in species
richness or measures of activity or abundance. In contrast, intensification within agricultural systems (i.e., increased agrochemical inputs, reduction of natural structuring elements such as hedges, woods, and marshes) had more consistently negative
effects on abundance and species richness. Agroforestry systems appear to mitigate negative consequences of habitat conversion and intensification, often having higher abundances and activity levels than natural areas. Across biomes, bats play key roles in limiting populations of arthropods by consuming various agricultural pests. In tropical areas, bats are key pollinators of several commercial fruit species. However, these substantial benefits may go unrecognized by farmers, who sometimes associate bats with ecosystem disservices such as crop raiding. Given the importance of bats for global food production, future agricultural management should focus on âwildlife-friendlyâ farming practices that allow more bats to exploit and persist
in the anthropogenic matrix so as to enhance provision of ecosystem services. Pressing research topics include (1) a better understanding of how local-level versus
landscape-level management practices interact to structure bat assemblages,
(2) the effects of new pesticide classes and GM crops on bat populations, and (3) how increased documentation and valuation of the ecosystem services provided by bats could improve attitudes of producers toward their conservation
Serum Hepcidin Is Associated With Presence of Plaque in Postmenopausal Women of a General Population
Distinction by micro-Raman spectroscopy and chemometrical analysis of copper phthalocyanine blue polymorphs in oil-based and acrylic samples
peer reviewedCopper phthalocyanine (CuPc) blue, commonly named phthalo blue is the most important synthetic organic blue pigment in the 20th and 21st century artists paints. Phthalo blue, which is adopted by artists since 1936, is a polymorphous pigment. Currently, the alpha, beta and epsilon CuPc polymorphs are used in artists paint formulations. The identification of the CuPc crystal form provides technical and chronological information relevant for studying artworks. Raman Spectroscopy (RS) is a very valuable technique for the detection of phthalo blue in paint layers. However, the spectral interpretation is not straightforward concerning the CuPc polymorph distinction. To overcome the problem we have previously developed a procedure combining RS and chemometrical analysis. The experimental results that we obtained have demonstrated its efficiency for predicting the CuPc crystal form in unknown paint samples. In the present work, this procedure was applied on oil-based and acrylic paints from Sam Francisâ studio and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) Reference Collection
Ferroportin in monocytes of hemodialysis patients and its associations with hepcidin, inflammation, markers of iron status and resistance to erythropoietin
Disturbed iron homeostasis contributes to resistance to recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Increased hepcidin, which downregulates the iron exporter ferroportin, has been incriminated. However, other factors also control ferroportin expression in mononuclear phagocyte system. Ferroportin in monocytes, as well as serum hepcidin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and common markers of iron status were measured and correlations with rHuEpo resistance index (ERI) were evaluated. After a 4-week washout period from iron treatment, 34 HD patients and 20 healthy volunteers enrolled in the study. Ferroportin was assessed by means of western blotting, whereas hepcidin and IL-6 with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hemoglobin, serum iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) were also measured. Ferroportin in monocytes of HD patients was decreased. Serum hepcidin and IL-6 were increased, whereas serum iron and TSAT were decreased. ERI was negatively correlated with ferroportin and all the markers of iron adequacy, but not with hepcidin. Decreased ferroportin in monocytes of HD patients accompanies increased hepcidin, inflammation, decreased iron availability and is correlated with resistance to rHuEpo treatment