Field determination of multipollutant, open area combustion source emission factors with a hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 166
Author(s): J. Aurell, W. Mitchell, V. Chirayath, J. Jonsson, D. Tabor, B. Gullett
An emission sensor/sampler system was coupled to a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to characterize gases and particles in the plumes emitted from open burning of military ordnance. The UAV/sampler was tested at two field sites with test and sampling flights spanning over 16 h of flight time. The battery-operated UAV was remotely maneuvered into the plumes at distances from the pilot of over 600 m and at altitudes of up to 122 m above ground level. While the flight duration could be affected by sampler payload (3.2–4.6 kg) and meteorological conditions, the 57 sampling flights, ranging from 4 to 12 min, were typically terminated when the plume concentrations of CO2 were diluted to near ambient levels. Two sensor/sampler systems, termed "Kolibri," were variously configured to measure particulate matter, metals, chloride, perchlorate, volatile organic compounds, chlorinated dioxins/furans, and nitrogen-based organics for determination of emission factors. Gas sensors were selected based on their applicable concentration range, light weight, freedom from interferents, and response/recovery times. Samplers were designed, constructed, and operated based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods and quality control criteria. Results show agreement with published emission factors and good reproducibility (e.g., 26% relative standard deviation for PM2.5). The UAV/Kolibri represents a significant advance in multipollutant emission characterization capabilities for open area sources, safely and effectively making measurements heretofore deemed too hazardous for personnel or beyond the reach of land-based samplers.

Graphical abstract

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Multi year aerosol characterization in the tropical Andes and in adjacent Amazonia using AERONET measurements

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 166
Author(s): Daniel Pérez-Ramírez, Marcos Andrade-Flores, Thomas F. Eck, Ariel F. Stein, Norman T. O'Neill, Hassan Lyamani, Santiago Gassó, David N. Whiteman, Igor Veselovskii, Fernando Velarde, L. Alados-Arboledas
This work focuses on the analysis of columnar aerosol properties in the complex geophysical tropical region of South America within 10–20° South and 50–70° West. The region is quite varied and encompasses a significant part of Amazonia (lowlands) as well as high mountains in the Andes (highlands,∼4000 m a.s.l.). Several AERONET stations were included to study the aerosol optical characteristics of the lowlands (Rio Branco, Ji Parana and Cuiaba in Brazil and Santa Cruz in Bolivia) and the highlands (La Paz, Bolivia) during the 2000–2014 period. Biomass-burning is by far the most important source of aerosol in the lowlands, particularly during the dry season (August–October). Multi-annual variability was investigated and showed very strong burning activity in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. This resulted in smoke characterized by correspondingly strong, above-average AODs (aerosol optical depths) and homogeneous single scattering albedo (SSA) across all the stations (∼0.93). For other years, however, SSA differences arise between the northern stations (Rio Branco and Ji Parana) with SSAs of ∼0.95 and the southern stations (Cuiaba and Santa Cruz) with lower SSAs of ∼0.85. Such differences are explained by the different types of vegetation burned in the two different regions. In the highlands, however, the transport of biomass burning smoke is found to be sporadic in nature. This sporadicity results in highly variable indicators of aerosol load and type (Angstrom exponent and fine mode fraction) with moderately significant increases in both. Regional dust and local pollution are the background aerosol in this highland region, whose elevation places it close to the free troposphere. Transported smoke particles were generally found to be more optical absorbing than in the lowlands: the hypothesis to explain this is the significantly higher amount of water vapor in Amazonia relative to the high mountain areas. The air-mass transport to La Paz was investigated using the HYSPLIT air-concentration five-days back trajectories. Two different patterns were clearly differentiated: westerly winds from the Pacific that clean the atmosphere and easterly winds favoring the transport of particles from Amazonia.



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Urban air pollution and health risks of parent and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in two megacities, southwest China

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 166
Author(s): Shaojie Zhuo, Wei Du, Guofeng Shen, Rui Wang, Xuelian Pan, Tongchao Li, Yang Han, Yungui Li, Bo Pan, Xing Peng, Hefa Cheng, Xilong Wang, Guoliang Shi, Baoshan Xing, Shu Tao
Ambient air pollution in China has a significant spatial variation due to the uneven development and different energy structures. This study characterized ambient pollution of parent and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through a 1-year measurement in two megacities in southwest China where regional PM2.5 levels were considerably lower than other regions. Though the annual average BaP levels in both two cities were below the national standard of 1.0 ng/m³, however, by taking other PAHs into account, PAHs pollution were serious as indicated by high BaP equivalent concentrations (BaPEQ) of 3.8 ± 2.6 and 4.4 ± 1.9 ng/m³, respectively. Risk assessment would be underestimated by nearly an order of magnitude if only using BaP in risk assessment compared to the estimation based on 26 PAHs including 16 priority and 10 non-priority isomers targeted in this study. Estimated incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) were comparable at two cities, at about 330–380 persons per one million, even though the mass concentrations were significantly different. Nitrated PAHs showed distinct temporal and site differences compared to the parent PAHs. High cancer risks due to inhalation exposure of PAHs and their polar derivatives in the low PM2.5-pollution southwest China suggest essential and effective controls on ambient PAHs pollution in the region, and controls should take potential health risks into account instead of solely mass concentration.

Graphical abstract

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Neural Evidence for Non-conscious Working Memory

Abstract

Recent studies have found that non-consciously perceived information can be retained for several seconds, a feat that has been attributed to non-conscious working memory processes. However, these studies have mainly relied on subjective measures of visual experience, and the neural processes responsible for non-conscious short-term retention remains unclear. Here we used continuous flash suppression to render stimuli non-conscious in a delayed match-to-sample task together with fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of non-conscious short-term (5–15 s) retention. The participants' behavioral performance was at chance level when they reported no visual experience of the sample stimulus. Critically, multivariate pattern analyses of BOLD signal during the delay phase could classify presence versus absence of sample stimuli based on signal patterns in frontal cortex, and its spatial position based on signal patterns in occipital cortex. In addition, univariate analyses revealed increased BOLD signal change in prefrontal regions during memory recognition. Thus, our findings demonstrate short-term maintenance of information presented non-consciously, defined by chance performance behaviorally. This non-consciously retained information seems to rely on persistent neural activity in frontal and occipital cortex, and may engage further cognitive control processes during memory recognition.

http://ift.tt/2vs4bwC

Transcription Factors Sp8 and Sp9 Coordinately Regulate Olfactory Bulb Interneuron Development

Abstract

Neural stem cells in the postnatal telencephalic ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) generate new interneurons, which migrate tangentially through the rostral migratory stream (RMS) into the olfactory bulb (OB). The Sp8 and Sp9 transcription factors are expressed in neuroblasts, as well as in the immature and mature interneurons in the V-SVZ–RMS–OB system. Here we show that Sp8 and Sp9 coordinately regulate OB interneuron development: although Sp9 null mutants show no major OB interneuron defect, conditional deletion of both Sp8 and Sp9 resulted in a much more severe reduction of OB interneuron number than that observed in the Sp8 conditional mutant mice, due to defects in neuronal differentiation, tangential and radial migration, and increased cell death in the V-SVZ–RMS–OB system. RNA-Seq and RNA in situ hybridization reveal that, in Sp8/Sp9 double mutant mice, but not in Sp8 or Sp9 single mutant mice, newly born neuroblasts in the V-SVZ–RMS–OB system fail to express Prokr2 and Tshz1 expression, genes with known roles in promoting OB interneuron differentiation and migration, and that are involved in human Kallmann syndrome.

http://ift.tt/2wkCrqg

The Mediator Complex: At the Nexus of RNA Polymerase II Transcription

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Trends in Cell Biology
Author(s): Célia Jeronimo, François Robert
Mediator is an essential, large, multisubunit, transcriptional co-activator highly conserved across eukaryotes. Mediator interacts with gene-specific transcription factors at enhancers as well as with the RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription machinery bound at promoters. It also interacts with several other factors involved in various aspects of transcription, chromatin regulation, and mRNA processing. Hence, Mediator is at the nexus of RNAPII transcription, regulating its many steps and connecting transcription with co-transcriptional events. To achieve this flexible role, Mediator, which is divided into several functional modules, reorganizes its conformation and composition while making transient contacts with other components. Here, we review the mechanisms of action of Mediator and propose a unifying model for its function.



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A comparison of the tongue-in-groove and columellar strut in creating and maintaining tip projection and rotation: a randomized single blind trial

Abstract

Background

Rhinoplasty is one of the most challenging esthetic operations. The ability to achieve precise and predictable changes in the shape and position of the nasal tip is still among the demanding areas of rhinoplasty. Tongue in groove (TIG) and columellar strut are two of the many techniques to ensure an adequate nasal tip projection and rotation; however, there is little evidence to support long-term efficacy of these techniques.

Methods

In a clinical trial, 80 cases who were rhinoplasty candidates were studied prospectively. They were randomly divided into two groups according to the use of columellar strut and TIG. The outcome measures were gaining and maintaining tip projection and rotation in the long term. Standardized photographs before and 6 and 12 months after the surgery were the measurements to compare the results between the two groups, which were evaluated for nasolabial angle and projection. Also, the patients' satisfaction with beauty and nasal obstruction were assessed using the VAS (Visual Analogue Scale).

Results

Forty patients were operated using the columellar strut technique while the TIG method was used in 40 cases. Preoperatively, tip rotation, tip projection, and other characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Postoperatively, the patients' esthetic satisfaction was significantly greater in the TIG group 6 and 12 months after the surgery (P value = 0.001). The rest of the evaluated variables did not have any significant differences between the two groups.

Conclusions

It seems that both columellar strut and tongue in groove methods are effective techniques in maintaining tip projection and/or rotation in rhinoplasty. Using the tongue in groove technique in qualified hands may give significantly better esthetic satisfaction to patients than the columellar strut technique.

Level of evidence: Level I, therapeutic study.

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CONTENTS 1

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Materials Today, Volume 20, Issue 5





http://ift.tt/2tXYx0T

CONTENTS 2

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Materials Today, Volume 20, Issue 5





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Cytological and histological changes in the urothelium produced by electromotive drug administration (EMDA) and by the combination of intravescical hyperthermia and chemotherapy (thermochemotherapy)

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Francesco Pierconti, Patrizia Straccia, Sacco Emilio, Pier Francesco Bassi, Ivana De Pascalis, Rita C. Marques, Metka Volavsek, Luigi M. Larocca, Antonio Lopez-Beltran
The treatment of non muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) encompasses a range of different procedures. Electromotive drug administration (EMDA) and chemo-hyperthermia (C-HT; Synergo) represent a minimally-invasive methods of intravesical instillation of therapeutic agents as mitomycin C (MMC). We selected patients with high grade NMIBC, BCG non responder, treated with EMDA/MMC and C-HT/MMC and we also examined the morphological changes in urine cytology samples.During the period from 2012 to 2014, 110 patients with high grade NMIBC, BCG refractory were selected. All cases examined were classified according to The Paris System Classification as negative for high urothelial carcinoma (NHGUC) or atypical urothelial cells (AUC) with a mean of follow-up of 15 months and the cytological diagnosis were confirmed by histological biopsies.In particular 50 patients were treated with EMDA/MMC and 60 patients underwent to C-HT/MMC. The morphological changes were evaluated in urine samples processed by Thin Prep method.In the 50 patients treated with EMDA/MMC, 35 samples were classified as NHGUC and 15 cases were classified as AUC, while in the 60 patients treated with C-HT/MMC, 43 samples were NHGUC and 17 cases were classified AUC.The increase of cellularity and nuclear size with the alteration of nuclear/cytoplasmatic ratio (N/C) were common in patients treated with EMDA/MMC and C-HT/MMC without clinical and histological evidence of recurrence of neoplasia. The hyperchromasia and irregular nuclear chromatin were rarely observed. The irregular nuclear membrane rarely identified in urine cytology after EMDA/MMC treatment, is a feature present in patients C-HT/MMC treated.



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Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 promotes lymph node metastasis by inducing lymphangiogenesis in ovarian carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Minhua Li, Weiping Zheng, Jianguo Wei, Chuanling Hou, Ye Yang, Liping Sun, Cheng Wang
Aims and backgroundThyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) expression is widely considered a specific marker for lung and thyroid carcinomas and plays an important role in angiogenesis in lung cancer. However, it can occasionally be expressed in other malignancies, including ovarian carcinomas, and the mechanism of TTF-1 in lymphatic metastasis of ovarian carcinomas is still unclear. This study aimed to define the TTF-1 expression and lymph vessel density (LVD) in ovarian carcinomas and look for their correlations with clinicopathological features.MethodsWe examined the incidence of thyroid transcription factor 1 expression (clone SPT24) and lymph vessel density (LVD) quantified through D2-40 by immunohistochemistry from 110 primary ovarian carcinomas and 40 benign ovarian tumor as controls in Chinese patients.ResultsThyroid transcription factor 1 was detected in 28 primary ovarian carcinomas(25.5%), which was significantly higher than its expression in benign ovarian tumor. TTF-1 expression was correlated with tumor FIGO stage,T stage and lymphatic metastasis. Moreover, LVD was associated with tumor FIGO stage,TNM stage. Furthermore, the LVD counts in group of TTF-1 positive expression were higher than in group of TTF-1 negative expression.ConclusionsThese findings indicated the occasional expression of TTF-1 immunoreactivity of ovarian carcinomas should be considered in the evaluation of neoplasms of unknown primary origin and TTF-1 might be involved in lymph node metastasis of ovarian carcinomas in the presence of lymphangiogenesis.



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Expression and clinicopathological significance of hematopoietic pre-B cell leukemia transcription factor-interacting protein in cervical carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Yuping Wang, Dongmei Li, Yunduo Liu, Songyu tian, Xiuwei Chen
Hematopoietic pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor(PBX)-interacting protein (HPIP) is overexpressed in various malignancies, but its role in cervical cancer (CC) remains unknown. This study investigated the correlations of HPIP expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis of cervical carcinoma patients. Expression of HPIP was detected in CC from 167 patients along with 45 corresponding normal cervical specimens by immunohistochemistry. HPIP immunoreactivity was overexpressed in CC cases compared with that in normal endometrium (P <0.05). High HPIP expression was positively correlated with FIGO stage, histological grade, lymph node metastasis and recurrence (P <0.05). Patients with high HPIP expression exhibited significantly poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) than patients with low HPIP expression (both P <0.001). Cox multivariate analysis showed that high HPIP expression was an independent prognostic factor for both OS [hazard ratio (HR)=8.791, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.098–36.826; P=0.003 and DFS of patients with CC (HR=10.485, 95% CI=2.512–36.826; P=0.001)]. We identified HPIP protein expression as a novel independent poor prognostic indicator in CC.



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Exploration of the pathways and interaction network involved in bladder cancer cell line with knockdown of Opa interacting protein 5

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Xuefeng He, Xiang Ding, Duangai Wen, Jianquan Hou, Jigen Ping, Jun He
ObjectivesIn our previous study, we displayed that knockdown of Opa interacting protein 5 (OIP5) inhibited cell growth, disturbed cell cycle and increased cell apoptosis in bladder cancer (BC) cell line. Our present study aimed to explore the underlying pathways and interaction network involved in the roles of OIP5 in BC.MethodsMicroarray analysis was conducted to obtain mRNA expression profiling of OIP5 knockdown (shOIP5) and control (shCtrl) BC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses were performed including differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) identification, protein-protein interaction network construction, biological functions of prediction and ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA). Western Blotting (WB) was subjected to validate the protein expression levels of candidate DEGs in shOIP5 BC cell line.ResultsRespective 255 up- and 184 down-regulated DEGs were identified in shOIP5 group compared with shCtrl group. In the PPI network, CAND1 and MYC had the highest connectivity with DEGs. 439 DEGs were significantly enriched in inflammatory response, regulation of cell proliferation, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and bladder cancer. In the disease and function enrichment, DEGs were obviously involved in cellular movement, cellular growth and proliferation, cancer, inflammatory response, cell death and survival. In the OIP5 regulatory network, CDH2, IRS1, IRAK3, ID1, TNF, IL6, ITGA6, MYC and SOD2 interacted with OIP5. The WB validation results were compatible with our bioinformatics analyses.ConclusionsOIP5 interaction network might function as an oncogene in BC progression based on aberrant inflammatory responses. Our study might provide valuable information for investigation of tumorigenesis mechanism in BC.



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Evaluation of expression of genes CADM1, TWIST1 and CDH1 by immunohistochemestry in melanocytic lesions

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Pathology - Research and Practice
Author(s): Karina Munhoz de Paula Alves Coelho, Jaqueline Stall, Hercílio Fronza Júnior, Rodrigo Blasius, Paulo Henrique Condeixa de França
AimMalignant melanoma is an aggressive disease and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental factors, especially sunlight, are risk factors. Histopathologic distinction between nevi and melanomas can be difficult. It is anticipated that the evaluation of the immunohistochemical expression of some genes could contribute to the differential diagnosis of questionable histologically lesions. The objective of this study was to investigate wether the evaluation of the immunohistochemical expression of genes CADM1, TWIST1 and CDH1 (E-cadherin), that take part in mechanisms of cell adhesion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, contributes to the differential diagnosis of melanocytic lesions difficult to diagnose.Materials and methodsRetrospective cross-sectional study based on immunohistochemistry analysis of samples of 30 dysplastic compound melanocytic nevi, 30 melanomas less than 1.0mm thick and 30 melanomas more than 1.0mm thick, diagnosed between 2013 and 2016. A score was used to evaluate color intensity and percentage of cells stained.ResultThere were significant reductions in the expression of the genes CADM1 and CDH1 in melanomas (below and above 1.00mm of thickness) and in melanomas more than 1.0mm thick, respectively, compared to dysplastic compund melanocytic nevi. There was also lower expression of the genes CADM1 and CDH1 in melanomas greater than 1.0mm thick compared to melanomas less than 1.0mm. The gene TWIST1 showed no significant difference in expression between groups.ConclusionThese findings allow us to conclude that the immunohistochemical expression of CADM1 has the potential to contribute as an auxiliary tool to the differential diagnosis between nevi and melanomas.



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Cordyceps Sinensis: Anti-fibrotic and inflammatory effects of a cultured polysaccharide extract

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre
Author(s): Danfei Huang, Soma Meran, Shao-Ping Nie, Adam Midgley, Junqiao Wang, Steve W. Cui, Mingyong Xie, Glyn O. Phillips, Aled O. Phillips
It has been suggested that the traditional Chinese herbal preparation Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) may have a beneficial effect in renal disease. To satisfy increasing demand, CS derivatives have been produced by aseptic mycelia cultivation. We have demonstrated antifibrotic activity of cultured CS previously. The aim of this study was to examine bioactivity of a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS with a complicated monosaccharide composition, mainly consisting of Gal, Glc and Man.This polysaccharide antagonised the effect of TGF-β1 in stimulating the expression of collagen in the HK2 renal cell line. This was associated with down regulation of the TGF-β receptor Alk5. In addition the polysaccharide antagonised IL-1β stimulated sICAM-1 dependent adherence of monocytes to a monolayer of HK2 cell. This was associated with increased expression of the primary receptor for hyaluronan CD44, and was abrogated by removal of the cell surface hyaluronan pericellular coat.In summary we describe both anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activity in a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS.

Graphical abstract

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Biology and management of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana : two noxious weed species of agro-ecosystems

Abstract

Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana are closely related grass weed species infesting a large number of crops around the world. These species are widely distributed in diverse agro-ecosystems from temperate to sub-tropical regions due to their unique seed traits, successful germination ecology, high competitive ability, and allelopathic potential. A. fatua is more widespread, adaptable, and problematic than A. ludoviciana. Both these species infest major winter and spring crops, including wheat, oat, barley, canola, maize, alfalfa, and sunflower, causing up to 70% yield losses depending on crop species and weed density. Chemical control has been challenged by large-scale herbicide resistance evolution in these weed species. A. fatua is the most widespread herbicide-resistant weed in the world, infesting about 5 million hectares in 13 countries. The use of alternative herbicides with different modes of action has proved effective. Several cultural practices, including diverse crop rotations, cover crops, improved crop competition (using competitive cultivars, high seed rates, narrow row spacing, altered crop geometry), and allelopathic suppression, have shown promise for controlling A. fatua and A. ludoviciana. The integrated use of these cultural methods can reduce the herbicide dose required, and lower dependency on herbicides to control these grasses. Moreover, integrated management may successfully control herbicide-resistant populations of these weed species. The use of integrated approaches based on the knowledge of biology and ecology of A. fatua and A. ludoviciana may help to manage them sustainably in the future.

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Lead-free (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O3 ceramics within the polymorphic phase region exhibiting large, fatigue-free piezoelectric strains

Publication date: 5 November 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 133
Author(s): Nopsiri Chaiyo, David P. Cann, Naratip Vittayakorn
Lead-free xBaZrO3-(0.85-x)BaTiO3-0.15CaTiO3; x=0.00–0.20 (xBZ) ceramics were prepared successfully using the conventional solid-state reaction method. Unipolar electric-field-induced strains of the composition x=0.125 in the polymorphic phase region (PPR) composition show an extraordinarily high normalized piezoelectric coefficient (d33^⁎) of 2244pm/V with relatively low hysteresis at a low electric field of 5kV/cm, which is higher than that of most reported lead-free ceramics. The PPR composition also exhibits excellent fatigue resistance to bipolar electric cycling with negligible loss of electric-field-induced strain after 10⁶cycles. A two-phase mixture model featuring short-range ordering, which is dispersed in the long-range ferroelectric phase, is proposed to explain the outstanding piezoelectric properties. The reversible electric-field-induced phase transition between the two states is responsible for the large normalized piezoelectric coefficient and fatigue resistance. Under repeated electric cycling, the domains become more dynamic, and the change in domain configuration becomes easier due to decreased energy requirement upon polarization reversal. Furthermore, the ceramic shows single crystal-like behavior characterized by a nearly vertical slope in the polarization hysteresis data, which correlates to the electric field induced transformation from a multi-domain state to a single-domain state. This environmentally benign lead-free ceramic, with outstanding properties, has great potential use for highly responsive and reliable actuators.

Graphical abstract

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Manufacturing of FeCoCrNiCux medium-entropy alloy coating using laser cladding technology

Publication date: 5 November 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 133
Author(s): Yangchuan Cai, Yao Chen, Zhen Luo, Feng Gao, Lun Li
In the present research, FeCoCrNiCux medium-entropy alloy coatings were manufactured on Cr12MoV die steel by laser cladding technology. Due to the dilution effect of the substrate, the actual mixed entropy value of the coatings was found to be less than the theoretical value, indicating a typical medium-entropy alloy. The addition of Cu element was found to increase the Gibbs free energy of the cladding layers. Moreover, the difference in atomic radius between the Cu element and the other four elements is large. Thus, the Cu element segregates easily at the grain boundaries. The micro-hardness of the cladding layers was lower for the simple face-centered cubic structure, about 250HV. Owing to the low hardness value, the wear mechanism of the cladding layers consisted of adhesive wear, abrasive wear, and oxidative wear. The Cu element segregated in the grain boundaries to form the Cu-rich solid solution. The large potential difference between the metal matrix and the Cu-rich solid solution deteriorated the corrosion resistance of the cladding layers. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of Cu element could lead to the formation of large oxides, thereby reducing the high-temperature oxidation resistances of the cladding layers. The surface layer of the oxidation film consisted of mainly Fe oxides while the internal layer consisted of Cr oxides.

Graphical abstract

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Enhanced strength and ductility of bulk CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy having fully recrystallized ultrafine-grained structure

Publication date: 5 November 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 133
Author(s): S.J. Sun, Y.Z. Tian, H.R. Lin, X.G. Dong, Y.H. Wang, Z.J. Zhang, Z.F. Zhang
A high efficient magnetic levitation melting technique was reported for fabricating bulk equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) ingot with a diameter of 110mm. The bulk ingot can be either forged or rolled. In particular, fully recrystallized ultrafine-grained (UFG) HEA with a minimum grain size of 503±181nm was successfully obtained through a simple cold rolling and annealing process. The tensile properties of the HEA were studied by changing the grain size from the UFG regime to the coarse-grained regime. The UFG HEA exhibited a good balance of strength and ductility due to the low stacking fault energy. The linear Hall-Petch relationship was well fitted when the grain sizes range from 503nm to 88.9μm.

Graphical abstract

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Duplex stainless steel fabricated by selective laser melting - Microstructural and mechanical properties

Publication date: 5 November 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 133
Author(s): Florian Hengsbach, Peter Koppa, Kristina Duschik, Martin Joachim Holzweissig, Madison Burns, Jens Nellesen, Wolfgang Tillmann, Thomas Tröster, Kay-Peter Hoyer, Mirko Schaper
In the scope of the present study, microstructural and mechanical characterizations of duplex stainless steel UNS S31803 processed by selective laser melting (SLM) are conducted. The findings shed light on the phase arrangement evolving in the as-built condition and in several heat-treated conditions. In the as-built condition, austenite formation is almost suppressed due to process-related high cooling rates. Therefore, several heat treatments ranging from 900°C to 1200°C for 5min each were performed in order to adjust to the desired austenitic-ferritic microstructure. Results generated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a high dislocation density induced during SLM fabrication, such that a recrystallized microstructure prevails after the heat treatment. Tensile tests display the severe impact of the heat treatment on the resulting mechanical response. The nearly complete ferritic as-built specimens obtain a higher ultimate tensile strength and a reduced elongation at fracture compared to the heat-treated specimens.

Graphical abstract

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Analyses of a Mutant Foxp3 Allele Reveal BATF as a Critical Transcription Factor in the Differentiation and Accumulation of Tissue Regulatory T Cells

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Immunity
Author(s): Norihito Hayatsu, Takahisa Miyao, Masashi Tachibana, Ryuichi Murakami, Akihiko Kimura, Takako Kato, Eiryo Kawakami, Takaho A. Endo, Ruka Setoguchi, Hiroshi Watarai, Takeshi Nishikawa, Takuwa Yasuda, Hisahiro Yoshida, Shohei Hori
Foxp3 controls the development and function of regulatory T (Treg) cells, but it remains elusive how Foxp3 functions in vivo. Here, we established mouse models harboring three unique missense Foxp3 mutations that were identified in patients with the autoimmune disease IPEX. The I363V and R397W mutations were loss-of-function mutations, causing multi-organ inflammation by globally compromising Treg cell physiology. By contrast, the A384T mutation induced a distinctive tissue-restricted inflammation by specifically impairing the ability of Treg cells to compete with pathogenic T cells in certain non-lymphoid tissues. Mechanistically, repressed BATF expression contributed to these A384T effects. At the molecular level, the A384T mutation altered Foxp3 interactions with its specific target genes including Batf by broadening its DNA-binding specificity. Our findings identify BATF as a critical regulator of tissue Treg cells and suggest that sequence-specific perturbations of Foxp3-DNA interactions can influence specific facets of Treg cell physiology and the immunopathologies they regulate.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Hayatsu et al. report that an IPEX-associated Foxp3 mutation has expanded DNA recognition specificity and impairs tissue Treg cell fitness by repressing Batf. Their findings identify BATF as a critical regulator of tissue Treg cells and suggest that polymorphisms that impact Foxp3-DNA interactions may contribute to susceptibility to autoimmune disease.


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An antigen-specific semi-therapeutic treatment with local delivery of tolerogenic factors through a dual-sized microparticle system blocks experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 143
Author(s): Jonathan J. Cho, Joshua M. Stewart, Theodore T. Drashansky, Maigan A. Brusko, Ashley N. Zuniga, Kyle J. Lorentsen, Benjamin G. Keselowsky, Dorina Avram
Antigen-specific treatments are highly desirable for autoimmune diseases in contrast to treatments which induce systemic immunosuppression. A novel antigen-specific therapy has been developed which, when administered semi-therapeutically, is highly efficacious in the treatment of the mouse model for multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The treatment uses dual-sized, polymeric microparticles (dMPs) loaded with specific antigen and tolerizing factors for intra- and extra-cellular delivery, designed to recruit and modulate dendritic cells toward a tolerogenic phenotype without systemic release. This approach demonstrated robust efficacy and provided complete protection against disease. Therapeutic efficacy required encapsulation of the factors in controlled-release microparticles and was antigen-specific. Disease blocking was associated with a reduction of infiltrating CD4⁺ T cells, inflammatory cytokine-producing pathogenic CD4⁺ T cells, and activated macrophages and microglia in the central nervous system. Furthermore, CD4⁺ T cells isolated from dMP-treated mice were anergic in response to disease-specific, antigen-loaded splenocytes. Additionally, the frequency of CD86^hiMHCII^hi dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes of EAE mice treated with Ag-specific dMPs was reduced. Our findings highlight the efficacy of microparticle-based drug delivery platform to mediate antigen-specific tolerance, and suggest that such a multi-factor combinatorial approach can act to block autoimmunity.



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Non-proinflammatory and responsive nanoplatforms for targeted treatment of atherosclerosis

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 143
Author(s): Yin Dou, Yue Chen, Xiangjun Zhang, Xiaoqiu Xu, Yidan Chen, Jiawei Guo, Dinglin Zhang, Ruibing Wang, Xiaohui Li, Jianxiang Zhang
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of many fatal cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Whereas nanomedicines are promising for targeted therapy of atherosclerosis, great challenges remain in development of effective, safe, and translational nanotherapies for its treatment. Herein we hypothesize that non-proinflammatory nanomaterials sensitive to low pH or high reactive oxygen species (ROS) may serve as effective platforms for triggerable delivery of anti-atherosclerotic therapeutics in cellular and tissue microenvironments of inflammation. To demonstrate this hypothesis, an acid-labile material of acetalated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) (Ac-bCD) and a ROS-sensitive β-CD material (Ox-bCD) were separately synthesized by chemical modification of β-CD, which were formed into responsive nanoparticles (NPs). Ac-bCD NP was rapidly hydrolyzed in mildly acidic buffers, while hydrolysis of Ox-bCD NP was selectively accelerated by H2O2. Using an anti-atherosclerotic drug rapamycin (RAP), we found stimuli-responsive release of therapeutic molecules from Ac-bCD and Ox-bCD nanotherapies. Compared with non-responsive poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based NP, Ac-bCD and Ox-bCD NPs showed negligible inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. By endocytosis in cells and intracellularly releasing cargo molecules in macrophages, responsive nanotherapies effectively inhibited macrophage proliferation and suppressed foam cell formation. After intraperitoneal (i.p.) delivery in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice, fluorescence imaging showed accumulation of NPs in atherosclerotic plaques. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that the lymphatic translocation mediated by neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages may contribute to atherosclerosis targeting of i.p. administered NPs, in addition to targeting via the leaky blood vessels. Correspondingly, i.p. treatment with different nanotherapies afforded desirable efficacies. Particularly, both pH and ROS-responsive nanomedicines more remarkably delayed progression of atherosclerosis and significantly enhanced stability of atheromatous lesions, in comparison to non-responsive PLGA nanotherapy. Furthermore, responsive nanovehicles displayed good safety performance after long-term administration in mice. Consequently, for the first time our findings demonstrated the therapeutic advantages of nanomedicines responsive to mildly acidic or abnormally high ROS microenvironments for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Graphical abstract

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Advance Directives, Hospitalization, and Survival Among Advanced Cancer Patients with Delirium Presenting to the Emergency Department: A Prospective Study

AbstractBackground.To improve the management of advanced cancer patients with delirium in an emergency department (ED) setting, we compared outcomes between patients with delirium positively diagnosed by both the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS), or group A (n = 22); by the MDAS only, or group B (n = 22); and by neither CAM nor MDAS, or group C (n = 199).Materials and Methods.In an oncologic ED, we assessed 243 randomly selected advanced cancer patients for delirium using the CAM and the MDAS and for presence of advance directives. Outcomes extracted from patients' medical records included hospital and intensive care unit admission rate and overall survival (OS).Results.Hospitalization rates were 82%, 77%, and 49% for groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = .0013). Intensive care unit rates were 18%, 14%, and 2% for groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = .0004). Percentages with advance directives were 52%, 27%, and 43% for groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = .2247). Median OS was 1.23 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46–3.55) for group A, 4.70 months (95% CI 0.89–7.85) for group B, and 10.45 months (95% CI 7.46–14.82) for group C. Overall survival did not differ significantly between groups A and B (p = .6392), but OS in group C exceeded those of the other groups (p < .0001 each).Conclusion.Delirium assessed by either CAM or MDAS was associated with worse survival and more hospitalization in patients with advanced cancer in an oncologic ED. Many advanced cancer patients with delirium in ED lack advance directives. Delirium should be assessed regularly and should trigger discussion of goals of care and advance directives.Implications for Practice.Delirium is a devastating condition among advanced cancer patients. Early diagnosis in the emergency department (ED) should improve management of this life‐threatening condition. However, delirium is frequently missed by ED clinicians, and the outcome of patients with delirium is unknown. This study finds that delirium assessed by the Confusion Assessment Method or the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale is associated with poor survival and more hospitalization among advanced cancer patients visiting the ED of a major cancer center, many of whom lack advance directives. Therefore, delirium in ED patients with cancer should trigger discussion about advance directives.

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A Phase II Study with Lead‐In Safety Cohort of 5‐Fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin, and Lapatinib in Combination with Radiation Therapy as Neoadjuvant Treatment for Patients with Localized HER2‐Positive Esophagogastric Adenocarcinomas

AbstractLessons Learned. Neoadjuvant 5‐fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and lapatinib in combination with radiation therapy is safe for neoadjuvant treatment for patients with localized human epidermal growth receptor 2‐positive esophagogastric adenocarcinoma.Evaluation of this drug combination in a larger patient pool would allow for more accurate analysis of its efficacy.Background.The optimal design of neoadjuvant chemoradiation for the treatment of localized esophagogastric cancers is the subject of much debate. In this nonrandomized trial, we evaluated neoadjuvant 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), oxaliplatin, and lapatinib in combination with radiation therapy as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with localized human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)‐positive esophagogastric adenocarcinomas.Methods.Patients received neoadjuvant 5‐FU (225 mg/m2 continuous intravenous infusion, days 1–42), oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 intravenously [IV], days 1, 15, and 29), and lapatinib (six patients, 1,000 mg p.o., days 1–42; six patients, 750 mg p.o., days 1–42) plus radiation (1.8 Gy/day Monday through Friday for 50.4 Gy total). Following restaging, eligible patients underwent definitive resection, and pathologic response to neoadjuvant therapy was assessed. Planned enrollment was 42 patients. The primary endpoint was the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate.Results.Twelve patients (median age 64 years; 67% male) received a median of 5.6 weeks of treatment (range: 1.1–8.4). The pCR rate was 8%; four of the 12 patients underwent tumor resection and one patient had a pCR, with pathologic partial response in the remaining three. The most common lapatinib‐related adverse events included (all grades) nausea (67%) and diarrhea (58%), although these were all grade 1 or 2. Enrollment was halted due to low accrual.Conclusion.The treatment regimen was determined to be safe. The study was terminated early due to low accrual.

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Comparative efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the acute treatment of adult outpatients with anorexia nervosa: study protocol for the systematic review and network meta-analysis of individual data

Abstract

Background

Outpatient treatment studies of anorexia nervosa (AN) are notoriously hard to conduct given the ambivalence of the patient group and high drop-out rates. It is therefore not surprising that previous meta-analyses of pharmacological and psychological treatments for outpatient treatment of adult AN have proved to be inconclusive. Network meta-analysis (NMA) has the potential to overcome the limitations of pairwise meta-analysis, as this approach can compare multiple treatments using both direct comparisons of interventions within randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and indirect comparisons across trials based on a common comparator. To date there is no published example of this approach with eating disorders and the current study provides a protocol which will use NMA to advance knowledge about what outpatient therapy works best for which patients with AN by conducting both direct and indirect comparisons of different treatments and the moderating variables.

Methods

Searches of electronic data bases will be supplemented with manual searches for published, unpublished and ongoing RCTs in international registries, and clinical trials registries of regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Two reviewers will independently extract the data and where possible we will access individual data in order to examine moderators of treatment. Two primary outcomes will be selected: changes to body mass index and changes to global eating disorder psychopathology. The secondary outcome is the total number of patients who, at 12-month post-randomization, attained over the previous 28 day period: (i) BMI > 18.5, and (ii) global eating disorder psychopathology to within 1 SD of community norms. We will also provide a statistical evaluation of consistency, the agreement between direct and indirect evidence.

Results

Descriptive statistics across all eligible trials will be provided along with a network diagram, where the size of the nodes will reflect the amount of evidence accumulated for each treatment. We will use a contribution matrix that describes the percentage contribution of each direct meta-analysis to the entire body of evidence.

Discussion

Findings will make a major contribution to the literature by summarising individual data across rapidly accumulating outpatient trials of AN using state of the art NMA methodology.

Trial registration

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017064429

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Daphnoretin modulates differentiation and maturation of human dendritic cells through down-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Publication date: October 2017
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 51
Author(s): Chien-An Chen, Chien-Kuo Liu, Ming-Ling Hsu, Chih-Wen Chi, Chun-Chuan Ko, Jian-Syun Chen, Cheng-Ta Lai, Hen-Hong Chang, Tzung-Yan Lee, Yuen-Liang Lai, Yu-Jen Chen
Daphnoretin, an active constituent of Wikstroemia indica C.A. Meys, has been shown possessing anti-cancer activity. In this study, we examined the effect of daphnoretin on differentiation and maturation of human myeloid dendritic cells (DCs). After treatment with daphnoretin (0, 1.1, 3.3, 10 and 30μM) to initiate monocytes, the recovery rate of DCs was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. The mature DCs differentiated in the presence of daphnoretin had fewer and shorter dendrites. Daphnoretin modulated DCs differentiation and maturation in terms of lower expression of CD1a, CD40, CD83, DC-SIGN, and HLA-DR. Daphnoretin inhibited the allostimulatory activity of DCs on proliferation of naive CD4⁺CD45⁺RA⁺ T cell. On the mitogen-activated protein kinase, daphnoretin down-regulated the lipopolysaccharide-augmented expression of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (pJNK), but not p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Activation of JNK by anisomycin reversed the effect of daphnoretin on daphnoretin-inhibited pJNK expression and dendrite formation of DCs. In disease model related to maturation of DCs, daphnoretin suppressed the acute rejection of skin allografts in mice. Our results suggest that daphnoretin modulated differentiation and maturation of DCs toward a state of atypical maturation with impaired allostimulatory function and this effect may go through down-regulation of phosphorylated JNK.



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Inside front cover

Publication date: September 2017
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 50





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Naturally occurring immunomodulators with antitumor activity: An insight on their mechanisms of action

Publication date: September 2017
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 50
Author(s): Shimaa Ibrahim Abdelmonym Mohamed, Ibrahim Jantan, Md. Areeful Haque
Natural products with immunomodulatory activity are widely used in treatment of many diseases including autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders in addition to cancer. They gained a great interest in the last decades as therapeutic agents since they provide inexpensive and less toxic products than the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents. Immunomodulators are the agents that have the ability to boost or suppress the host defense response that can be used as a prophylaxis as well as in combination with other therapeutic modalities. The anticancer activity of these immunomodulators is due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and induction of apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-metastasis effect. These natural immunomodulators such as genistein, curcumin, and resveratrol can be used as prophylaxis against the initiation of cancer besides the inhibition of tumor growth and proliferation. Whereas, immunostimulants can elicit and activate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against the tumor that facilitate the recognition and destruction of the already existing tumor. This review represents the recent studies on various natural immunomodulators with antitumor effects. We have focused on the relationship between their anticancer activity and immunomodulatory mechanisms. The mechanisms of action of various immunomodulators such as polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, organosulfur compounds, capsaicin, vinca alkaloids, bromelain, betulinic acid and zerumbone, the affected cancerous cell lines in addition to the targeted molecules and transcriptional pathways have been review and critically analyzed.

Graphical abstract

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Characterization and evaluation of nanoencapsulated diethylcarbamazine in model of acute hepatic inflammation

Publication date: September 2017
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 50
Author(s): Gabriel Barros Rodrigues, Elquio Eleamen Oliveira, Francisco Jaime Bezerra Mendonça Junior, Laise Aline Martins dos Santos, Wilma Helena de Oliveira, Maria Eduarda Rocha de França, Deniele Bezerra Lós, Brennda Martins Gabínio, Fábia Cristiane Melo Leite de Lira, Christina Alves Peixoto
Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is a potent anti-inflammatory drug. The aim of the present study was to characterize the nanoencapsulation of DEC and to evaluate its effectiveness in a model of inflammation for the first time. C57BL/6 mice were divided into six groups: 1) Control; 2) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4); 3) DEC 25mg/kg+CCl4; 4) DEC 50mg/kg+CCl4; 5) DEC-NANO 05mg/kg+CCl4 and 6) DEC-NANO 12.5mg/kg+CCl4. Liver fragments were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and processed for Western blot, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Serum was also collected for biochemical measurements. Carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic injury, observed through increased inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE2, COX-2 and iNOS), changes in liver morphology, and increased serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, TGO and TGP, LDL, as well as reduced HDL levels. Nanoparticles containing DEC were characterized by diameter, polydispersity index and zeta potential. Treatment with 12.5 nanoencapsulated DEC exhibited a superior anti-inflammatory action to the DEC traditional dose (50mg/kg) used in murine assays, restoring liver morphology, improving serological parameters and reducing the expression of inflammatory markers. The present formulation of nanoencapsulated DEC is therefore a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of inflammatory hepatic disorders, permitting the use of smaller doses and reducing treatment time, while maintaining high efficacy.



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Reevaluating the Sensory Account of Visual Working Memory Storage

Publication date: Available online 31 July 2017
Source:Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Author(s): Yaoda Xu
Recent human fMRI pattern-decoding studies have highlighted the involvement of sensory areas in visual working memory (VWM) tasks and argue for a sensory account of VWM storage. In this review, evidence is examined from human behavior, fMRI decoding, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies, as well as from monkey neurophysiology studies. Contrary to the prevalent view, the available evidence provides little support for the sensory account of VWM storage. Instead, when the ability to resist distraction and the existence of top-down feedback are taken into account, VWM-related activities in sensory areas seem to reflect feedback signals indicative of VWM storage elsewhere in the brain. Collectively, the evidence shows that prefrontal and parietal regions, rather than sensory areas, play more significant roles in VWM storage.



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Increasing positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities through community service learning

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 69
Author(s): Janelle E. Lawson, Rebecca A. Cruz, Gregory A. Knollman
Providing equal-status contact between those with and without disabilities can improve attitudes and reduce discrimination toward individuals with disabilities. This study investigated community service learning as a means by which to provide college students with equal-status contact with individuals with disabilities and increase their positive attitudes toward those with disabilities. A total of 166 college students in one university in the United States enrolled in an Introduction to Disability course received content on disability in society and participated in community service involving 20h of direct contact with individuals with disabilities.Findings indicated that college students who had prior contact with individuals with disabilities had more positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities than college students who did not have prior contact at the start of the course. For the college students who did not have any prior contact, their attitudes toward individuals with disabilities became significantly more positive at the end of the community service learning course. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.



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Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality: Fourth Edition Incorporating the First Addendum.

This fourth edition incorporating the first addendum, of the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality builds on over 50 years of guidance by WHO on drinking-water quality, which has formed an authoritative basis for the setting of national regulations and standards for water safety in support of public health.

http://ift.tt/2u1Q3K9

Interventions to Prevent Age-Related Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Clinical Alzheimer’s-Type Dementia [Internet].

This review assessed evidence for interventions aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of age-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or clinical Alzheimer's-type dementia (CATD).

http://ift.tt/2uhMuLe

Scholar : These new articles for The Physician and Sportsmedicine are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for The Physician and Sportsmedicine and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Clinical Features - Review Epidemiology of injuries in men's lacrosse: injury prevention implications for competition level, type of play, and player position Kim D. Barber Foss, Ed Le Cara, Teri McCambridge, Richard Hinton, Adam Kushner & Gregory D. Myer Pages: 1-10 | DOI: 10.1080/00913847.2017.1355209 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

The black rock series supported SCR catalyst for NO x removal

Abstract

Black rock series (BRS) is of great potential for their plenty of valued oxides which include vanadium, iron, alumina and silica oxides, etc. BRS was used for directly preparing of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst by modifying its surface texture with SiO₂-TiO₂ sols and regulating its catalytic active constituents with V₂O₅ and MoO₃. Consequently, 90% NO removal ratio was obtained within 300–400 °C over the BRS-based catalyst. The structure and properties of the BRS-based catalyst were characterized by the techniques of N₂ adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H₂-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), and NH₃-temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The results revealed that the BRS-based catalyst possesses favorable properties for NO_x removal, including highly dispersed active components, abundant surface-adsorbed oxygen O_α, well redox property, and numerous Brønsted acid sites. Particularly, the BRS-based catalyst exhibited considerable anti-poisoning performance compared with commercial TiO₂-based catalyst. The former catalyst shows a NO conversion surpassing 80% from 300 to 400 °C for potassium poisoning, and a durability of SO₂ and H₂O exceeding 85% at temperatures from 300 to 450 °C.

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Incorporating patient-specific CT-based ophthalmic anatomy in modeling iodine-125 eye plaque brachytherapy dose distributions

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Brachytherapy
Author(s): Christopher J. Tien, Melvin A. Astrahan, Jenna M. Kim, Miguel Materin, Zhe Chen, Ravinder Nath, Wu Liu
PurposeTo quantify the dosimetric impact of incorporating patient-specific CT-based models rather than the conventional stylized-standard model for eye plaque brachytherapy planning.Methods and materialsPlaque Simulator was used to plan 16 patients using both CT-based patient-specific eye model and stylized-standard (SS) eye models. Plaque position was initially based on the SS model and compared against their patient-specific model without changing the plaque loading pattern and seed strength. Dosimetric parameters were compared for tumor and healthy ocular structures.ResultsPatient-specific ocular parameters ranged from 0.40 to 1.38 of SS model values. If plaques were placed based on SS model eyelet positions, target volume receiving prescription dose (V100%) is overpredicted by 5.9% on average (max: 27%), and D95% is overpredicted by 17.2 Gy on average (max: 58.1 Gy). If the plaques were recentered, 13 of 16 patients had changes in V100% of less than 2%, whereas half of the patients still had optic disc dose difference greater than 5 Gy (max: 36.2 Gy). The largest differences were observed with a target-to-optic disk distance less than 6 mm. No substantial dose differences were observed for the tumor apex, fovea, lens, and opposing retina.ConclusionsPatient-specific modeling is recommended for clinical planning, especially with target-to-optic disk distances less than 6 mm, due to significant differences compared with SS model.



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Determinants of Implementation of Isolation Precautions Against Infections by Multidrug-Resistant Microorganisms: A Hospital-Based, Multicenter, Observational Study.

Related Articles

Determinants of Implementation of Isolation Precautions Against Infections by Multidrug-Resistant Microorganisms: A Hospital-Based, Multicenter, Observational Study.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017 Jul 31;:1-8

Authors: Bénet T, Girard R, Gerbier-Colomban S, Dananché C, Hodille E, Dauwalder O, Vanhems P

Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to ascertain the factors associated with lack of isolation precautions (IP) in patients infected or colonized by third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (3GCR-E) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital settings. DESIGN Prospective surveillance and audit of practices. SETTING The study included 4 university hospitals in Lyon, France. PARTICIPANTS All patients hospitalized between April and June in 2013 and 2015 were included. Case patients had ≥1 clinical sample positive for MRSA and/or 3GCR-E. METHODS Factors associated with the lack of IP implementation were identified using multivariate logistic regression. The incidence of MDRO infections was expressed per 10,000 patient days. RESULTS Overall, 57,222 patients accounting for 192,234 patient days of hospitalization were included, and 635 (1.1%) MDRO cases were identified. MRSA incidence was 2.5 per 10,000 patient days (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.1-3.0) and 3GCR-E incidence was 10.1 per 10,000 patient days (95% CI, 9.2-11.0), with no crude difference between 2013 and 2015 (P=.15 and P=.11, respectively). Among 3GCR-E, the main species were Escherichia coli (43.8%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (31.0%). Isolation precautions were implemented in 78.5% of cases. Lack of IP implementation was independently associated with patient age, year, specialty, hospital, colonization compared with infection, and lack of medical prescription for IPs (adjusted odds ratio, 17.4; 95% CI, 8.5-35.8; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS MRSA and 3GCR-E infections and/or colonizations are frequent in healthcare settings, and IPs are implemented in most cases. When IPs are lacking, the main factor is the absence of medical prescription for IPs, underscoring the need for alerts to physicians by the microbiological laboratory and/or the infection control team. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;1-8.

PMID: 28758615 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Reflector-guided breast tumor localization versus wire localization for lumpectomies: A comparison of surgical outcomes

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): Sejal N. Patel, Victoria L. Mango, Priya Jadeja, Lauren Friedlander, Elise Desperito, Ralph Wynn, Sheldon Feldman, Richard Ha
PurposeTo compare surgical outcomes of SAVI SCOUT reflector localization (SSL) versus wire localization (WL) for breast tumors.MethodsRetrospective review of 42 SSL cases and 42 WL cases. WL patients were consecutively matched for clinical-pathologic features. Final surgical outcome measures were tumor specimen volume, margin status, and re-excision rates.ResultsNo significant differences were present in median specimen volumes (SSL-15.2cm³ vs. WL-16.3cm³), positive margin rate (SSL-9.5% vs. WL-7.1%), close margin rate (SSL-7.1% vs. WL-11.9%) or re-excision rate (SSL-7.1% vs. WL-9.5%).ConclusionSSL is an acceptable alternative to WL with no significant differences in surgical outcomes.



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Screening performance for callosal agenesis in prenatal life. Single center study

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): Hubert Huras, Magdalena Nowak, Izabela Herman-Sucharska, Malgorzata Radon-Pokracka, Agnieszka Nocun, Marcin Wiechec
Objectives1) To analyze screening performance of second trimester scan for ACC, 2) to evaluate the agreement between ultrasound and MRI and 3) to compare prenatal and postnatal diagnosis.MethodsIt was a prospective observational study. All patients with fetuses suspected of ACC were referred to prenatal MRI (pMRI).ResultsOne subject was not confirmed by pMRI with the diagnosis of ACC. This case demonstrated partial ACC in neonatal MRI (nMRI).ConclusionSensitivity of second trimester scan for callosal agenesis of 73% and specificity of 99%. Prenatal MRI and US has similar amount of misdiagnoses.



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Vaginal tumor–vesical fistula detected by dynamic fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A case report

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): Naoya Ishibashi, Toshiya Maebayashi, Takuya Aizawa, Masakuni Sakaguchi, Yasuo Amano
Preoperative fistulas are rare in patients with bladder mucosa-invading gynecological tumors. This is the first reported case of a vesico–vaginal fistula identified using 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT) in a patient with vaginal cancer. A 61-year-old woman with vaginal cancer underwent ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT for assessment of the mass and lymph nodes. Assessment was difficult because overlap of FDG uptake occurred on ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT images obtained 60min after FDG injection. However, dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT clearly indicated the presence of a vaginal tumor–vesical fistula. This case illustrates the usefulness of dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT imaging when assessing a vesico–vaginal fistula.



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Pt-decorated zinc oxide nanorod arrays with graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for highly efficient dual-functional gas sensing

Publication date: 5 November 2018
Source:Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 341
Author(s): Hailin Tian, Huiqing Fan, Jiangwei Ma, Zhiyong Liu, Longtao Ma, Shenhui Lei, Jiawen Fang, Changbai Long
In this work, well-aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on the substrate of exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, and then Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures were obtained after the deposition of Pt nanoparticles. The growth of vertically ordered ZnO nanorods was occurred on g-C3N4 nanosheets through the bonding interaction between Zn and N atoms, which was confirmed by XPS, FT-IR data and molecular orbital theory. The Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures sensor exhibited the remarkable sensitivity, selectivity, and fast response/recovery time for air pollutants of ethanol and NO2. The application of Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures could be used as a dual-functional gas sensor through the controlled working temperature. Besides, the Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures sensor could be applied to the repeating detection of ethanol and NO2 in the natural environment. The synergistic effect and improved the separation of electron-hole pairs in Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures had been verified for the gas sensing mechanism. Additionally, Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures revealed the excellent charge carriers transport properties in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), such as the longer electron lifetime (τn), higher electron diffusion coefficient (Dn) and bigger effective diffusion length (Ln), which also played an important role for Pt/ZnO/g-C3N4 nanostructures with striking gas sensing activities.

Graphical abstract

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Effect of graphene oxide on copper stress in Lemna minor L.: evaluating growth, biochemical responses, and nutrient uptake

Publication date: 5 November 2018
Source:Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 341
Author(s): Changwei Hu, Lei Liu, Xiuling Li, Yundi Xu, Zhigang Ge, Yongjun Zhao
The wide application and unique properties of graphene oxide (GO) make it to interact with other pollutants and subsequently alter their behavior and toxicity. We evaluated the influences of GO at different concentrations (1 and 5mg/L) on copper (Cu) stress in duckweed (Lemna minor L.) GO below a concentration of 5mg/L showed no adverse effects on L. minor. The addition of Cu above 10μM represented a stress condition, which was evidenced by various parameters such as frond number, percent inhibition of growth rate (Ir), total chlorophyll content, dry weight, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). When L. minor was simultaneously exposed to GO and Cu, especially at a GO concentration of 5mg/L and a Cu level above 10μM, the increase of Ir and decrease of chlorophyll content were inhibited, suggesting that the Cu stress was diminished in the presence of GO. The addition of Cu alone, ranging between 5 and 20μM, increased Cu, B, Mn, Fe, Co, and Zn uptake, but decreased P uptake. Our results suggest that GO can lessen Cu stress in L. minor via Cu adsorption, thereby protecting the plants from the damaging effects of high Cu concentrations.

Graphical abstract

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Complexation of different transition metals with 4-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazole: Synthesis, crystal structure and hirshfeld surfaces

Publication date: 5 December 2017
Source:Journal of Molecular Structure, Volume 1149
Author(s): Ye-Hao Jiang, Qing-Ling Liu, Yang-Hui Luo, Bai-Wang Sun
Four new complexes based on the 4-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazole (Hcpt) ligand, {[Co(cpt)2(H2O)4]·H2O}(1), {[Cr(cpt)2(H2O)4]·10H2O}(2), {[Fe(cpt)2(H2O)4]·10H2O}(3), {[Zn(cpt)2 (H2O)2]}(4) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and TGA. For complexes 1, 2, and 3, they almost have the same coordination mode that only one nitrogen atom of triazole are involved in the coordination, while in the complex 4, only the group COO⁻ participates in the coordination. In the crystal structure of 1, each structural unit[Co(cpt)2(H2O)4] is linked to another by hydrogen bonding formed by the lattice water molecules, thus forming a one-dimensional chain structure; In the crystal structure of 2 or 3, each structural unit[Cr(cpt)2(H2O)4] or [Fe(cpt)2(H2O)4] forms a two-dimensional layered structure by intermolecular hydrogen bonds from the coordinated water molecule and the group COO⁻. The results of thermogravimetric analysis show that the loss of lattice water and coordinated water molecules in 1, 2 and 3 is below 120 °C, while the loss of coordinated water molecules in 4 is in the temperature range of 190–260 °C. Hirshfeld surface shows that the NH⋯O hydrogen bonding interaction plays a significant role towards the conformation of the basic structure of these complexes.



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Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in ZnMnS ultra-thin films caused by structural cleavage

Publication date: 1 December 2017
Source:Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, Volume 443
Author(s): N. Ouarab, A. Haroun
Half tetragonal ZnMnS crystal based on three single layers of Zn, S and Mn was investigated by including spin–orbit coupling in full potential linearized augmented plane waves method. We show that the magnetic anisotropy exhibits a strong dependence with structural cleavage, which induces an out-of plane magnetic easy axis. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was calculated to be 1890.9µeV. The anti-ferromagnetic behavior is displayed between Mn atoms having a magnetic moment of ±3.57μB with c(2×2) magnetic configuration. The results indicate that ZnMnS compound has interesting optical and magnetic properties for spintronics applications.



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Arthroconidia in Lung Tissue: An Unusual Histopathological Finding in Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:Human Pathology
Author(s): Thea Brennan-Krohn, Edward Yoon, Michiya Nishino, James E. Kirby, Stefan Riedel
Coccidioides immitis/posadsii presents in mycelial form with branching hyphae and arthroconidia when cultured in the laboratory. On histopathology, the presence of endospore-containing spherules is considered diagnostic of coccidioidomycosis. Here we report an unusual case of coccidioidomycosis with hyphae and arthroconidia in pulmonary tissue sections. A 49-year-old male patient with intermittently treated pulmonary coccidioidomycosis sought treatment for residual pulmonary complaints. A cavity in the left upper lobe was seen on CT scan. Due to minimal improvement of symptoms despite treatment with fluconazole, a left upper lobectomy was ultimately performed. Coccidioides mimmitis/posadasii was identified by culture and DNA-probe from the lobectomy specimen. The histopathology showed a fibro-cavitary lesion, with arthroconidia and hyphal structures, but no typical endospore-forming spherules. While uncommon, C. immitis/posadasii may present with hyphae and arthroconidia on histopathology. Pathologists should be aware of this unusual presentations; culture remains the most reliable method for definitive diagnosis.



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Impedance cardiography in healthy children and children with congenital heart disease: Improving stroke volume assessment

Publication date: Available online 1 August 2017
Source:International Journal of Psychophysiology
Author(s): Ineke Nederend, Arend D.J. ten Harkel, Nico A. Blom, Gary G. Berntson, Eco J.C. de Geus
IntroductionStroke volume (SV) and cardiac output are important measures in the clinical evaluation of cardiac patients and are also frequently used in research applications. This study was aimed to improve SV scoring derived from spot-electrode based impedance cardiography (ICG) in a pediatric population of healthy volunteers and patients with a corrected congenital heart defect.Methods128 healthy volunteers and 66 patients participated. First, scoring methods for ambiguous ICG signals were optimized to improve agreement of B- and X-points with aortic valve opening/closure in simultaneously recorded transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Building on the improved scoring of B- and X-points, the Kubicek equation for SV estimation was optimized by testing the agreement with the simultaneously recorded SV by TTE. Both steps were initially done in a subset of the sample of healthy children and then validated in the remaining subset of healthy children and in a sample of patients.ResultsSV assessment by ICG in healthy children strongly improved (intra class correlation increased from 0.26 to 0.72) after replacing baseline thorax impedance (Z0) in the Kubicek equation by an equation (7.337–6.208∗dZ/dtmax), where dZ/dtmax is the amplitude of the ICG signal at the C-point. Reliable SV assessment remained more difficult in patients compared to healthy controls.ConclusionsAfter proper adjustment of the Kubicek equation, SV assessed by the use of spot-electrode based ICG is comparable to that obtained from TTE. This approach is highly feasible in a pediatric population and can be used in an ambulatory setting.



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Carbon dots based photoelectrochemical sensors for ultrasensitive detection of glutathione and its applications in probing of myocardial infarction

Publication date: 15 January 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 99
Author(s): Zhengping Li, Jun Zhang, Yunxiao Li, Shuang Zhao, Peixin Zhang, Yue Zhang, Jinshun Bi, Guohua Liu, Zhao Yue
In this work, photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors based on carbon dots (CDs) were developed for ultrasensitive detection of glutathione (GSH) without additional catalysts. In this PEC sensing system, CDs exhibited both photoelectric and catalytic properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), graphene oxide (GO), and mesoporous silica (MS) were introduced in order to enhance the sensing properties of CDs for GSH. Among the different hybrid nanocomposites, CDs@MS based PEC sensors exhibited the best sensing properties: the sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) for GSH were found to be 57.6nAμM^{− 1} and 6.2nM (S/N = 3), respectively, in the linear range 0.02–4μM. In addition, the developed PEC sensors showed a high selectivity for GSH even with interferences of other biological thiols and amino acids. The PEC sensor was successfully applied for GSH detection in human serum and probing of myocardial infarction (MI) conditions by estimating the amount of GSH in the myocardial cells of mice, which had been treated with different ischemia/ischemia-reperfusion times. These results indicated that the CDs based hybrid nanocomposites are promising candidates for the development of PEC biosensors with enhanced sensing performances.



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Development and application of a novel fluorescent nanosensor based on FeSe quantum dots embedded silica molecularly imprinted polymer for the rapid optosensing of cyfluthrin

Publication date: 15 January 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 99
Author(s): Xunjia Li, Hai-Feng Jiao, Xi-Zhi Shi, Aili Sun, Xiujuan Wang, Jiye Chai, De-Xiang Li, Jiong Chen
A novel molecularly imprinted silica layer appended to FeSe quantum dots (MIP-FeSe-QDs) was fabricated and utilized as a recognition element to develop a selective and sensitive fluorescent nanosensor for cyfluthrin (CYF) determination. The MIP-FeSe-QDs were characterized by fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Excellent selectivity and high sensitivity of MIP-FeSe-QDs to CYF molecules were observed based on the fluorescence quenching of FeSe-QDs. Under optimal conditions, a good linear relationship was found between fluorescence quenching effect and increased CYF concentration within 0.010–0.20mg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9911. The practicality of the developed sensor method for CYF detection in fish and sediment samples was further validated. Good recoveries ranging from 88.0% to 113.9% with<6.8% relative standard deviations were obtained. The detection limits of CYF in sediment and fish samples were 1.3 and 1.0µg/kg, respectively. This study established a novel, rapid fluorescent nanosensor detection method based on MIP-QDs for successfully analyzing CYF in fish and sediment samples.



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Integrating fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor particles with a modular microfluidic platform for nanomolar small-molecule detection directly in aqueous samples

Publication date: 15 January 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 99
Author(s): Sabine Wagner, Jérémy Bell, Mustafa Biyikal, Kornelia Gawlitza, Knut Rurack
Fluorescent sensory MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) particles were combined with a droplet-based 3D microfluidic system for the selective determination of a prototype small-molecule analyte of environmental concern, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D, at nanomolar concentration directly in water samples. A tailor-made fluorescent indicator cross-linker was thus designed that translates the binding event directly into an enhanced fluorescence signal. The phenoxazinone-type cross-linker was co-polymerized into a thin MIP layer grafted from the surface of silica microparticles following a RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization protocol. While the indicator cross-linker outperformed its corresponding monomer twin, establishment of a phase-transfer protocol was essential to guarantee that the hydrogen bond-mediated signalling mechanism between the urea binding site on the indicator cross-linker and the carboxylate group of the analyte was still operative upon real sample analysis. The latter was achieved by integration of the fluorescent core-shell MIP sensor particles into a modular microfluidic platform that allows for an in-line phase-transfer assay, extracting the analyte from aqueous sample droplets into the organic phase that contains the sensor particles. Real-time fluorescence determination of 2,4-D down to 20nM was realized with the system and applied for the analysis of various surface water samples collected from different parts of the world.

Graphical abstract

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Mkit: A cell migration assay based on microfluidic device and smartphone

Publication date: 15 January 2018
Source:Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 99
Author(s): Ke Yang, Jiandong Wu, Hagit Peretz-Soroka, Ling Zhu, Zhigang Li, Yaoshuo Sang, Jolly Hipolito, Michael Zhang, Susy Santos, Craig Hillier, Ricardo Lobato de Faria, Yong Liu, Francis Lin
Mobile sensing based on the integration of microfluidic device and smartphone, so-called MS² technology, has enabled many applications over recent years, and continues to stimulate growing interest in both research communities and industries. In particular, it has been envisioned that MS² technology can be developed for various cell functional assays to enable basic research and clinical applications. Toward this direction, in this paper, we describe the development of a MS²-based cell functional assay for testing cell migration (the Mkit). The system is constructed as an integrated test kit, which includes microfluidic chips, a smartphone-based imaging platform, the phone apps for image capturing and data analysis, and a set of reagent and accessories for performing the cell migration assay. We demonstrated that the Mkit can effectively measure purified neutrophil and cancer cell chemotaxis. Furthermore, neutrophil chemotaxis can be tested from a drop of whole blood using the Mkit with red blood cell (RBC) lysis. The effects of chemoattractant dose and gradient profile on neutrophil chemotaxis were also tested using the Mkit. In addition to research applications, we demonstrated the effective use of the Mkit for on-site test at the hospital and for testing clinical samples from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient. Thus, this developed Mkit provides an easy and integrated experimental platform for cell migration related research and potential medical diagnostic applications.



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The Role of Simulation in Microsurgical Training

Publication date: Available online 31 July 2017
Source:Journal of Surgical Education
Author(s): Evgenios Evgeniou, Harriet Walker, Sameer Gujral
Simulation has been established as an integral part of microsurgical training. The aim of this study was to assess and categorize the various simulation models in relation to the complexity of the microsurgical skill being taught and analyze the assessment methods commonly employed in microsurgical simulation training.Numerous courses have been established using simulation models. These models can be categorized, according to the level of complexity of the skill being taught, into basic, intermediate, and advanced.Microsurgical simulation training should be assessed using validated assessment methods. Assessment methods vary significantly from subjective expert opinions to self-assessment questionnaires and validated global rating scales. The appropriate assessment method should carefully be chosen based on the simulation modality.Simulation models should be validated, and a model with appropriate fidelity should be chosen according to the microsurgical skill being taught. Assessment should move from traditional simple subjective evaluations of trainee performance to validated tools. Future studies should assess the transferability of skills gained during simulation training to the real-life setting.



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In vitro genotoxicity of asbestos substitutes induced by coupled stimulation of dissolved high-valence ions and oxide radicals

Abstract

The wide use of asbestos and its substitutes has given rise to studies on their possible harmful effects on human health and environment. However, their toxic effects remain unclear. The present study was aimed to disclose the coupled effects of dissolved high-valence ions and oxide radicals using the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of chrysotile (CA), nano-SiO₂ (NS), ceramic fiber (CF), glass fiber (GF), and rock wool (RW) on Chinese hamster lung cells V79. All samples induced cell mortality correlated well with the chemical SiO₂ content of asbestos substitutes and the amount of dissolved Si. Alkali or alkaline earth metal elements relieved mortality of V79 cells; Al₂O₃ reinforced toxicity of materials. Asbestos substitutes generated lasting, increasing amount of acellular ·OH which formed at the fiber surface at sites with loose/unsaturated bonds, as well as by catalytic reaction through dissolved iron. Accumulated mechanical and radical stimulation induced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, morphology change, and deviating trans-membrane ion flux. The cellular ROS appeared as NS > GF > CF ≈ CA > RW, consistent with cell mortality rather than with acellular ·OH generation. Chromosomal and DNA lesions in V79 cells were not directly associated with the cellular ROS, while influenced by dissolved high-valence irons in the co-culture medium. In conclusion, ions from short-time dissolution of dust samples and the generation of extracellular ·OH presented combined effects in the elevation of intracellular ROS, which further synergistically induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity.

http://ift.tt/2vq4Q1C

Chemical properties of dissolved organic matter derived from sugarcane rind and the impacts on copper adsorption onto red soil

Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM), as the most active organic carbon in the soil, has a coherent affinity with heavy metals from inherent and exogenous sources. Although the important roles of DOM in the adsorption of heavy metals in soil have previously been demonstrated, the heterogeneity and variability of the chemical constitution of DOM impede the investigation of its effects on heavy metal adsorption onto soil under natural conditions. Fresh DOM (FDOM) and degraded DOM (DDOM) from sugarcane rind were prepared, and their chemical properties were measured by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopes, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and molecular weight distribution (MWD). They were also used in batch experiments to evaluate their effects on the adsorption of Cu(II) onto farmland red soil. Based on our results, the chemical structure and composition of DDOM greatly varied; compared with FDOM, the C/O ratio (from 24.0 to 9.6%) and fluorescence index (FI) (from 1.4 to 1.0) decreased, and high molecular weight (>10 kDa) compounds increased from 23.18 to 70.51%, while low molecular weight (<3 kDa) compounds decreased from 56.13 to 12.13%; aromaticity and humification degree were markedly enhanced. The discrepancy of FDOM and DDOM in terms of chemical properties greatly influenced Cu(II) adsorption onto red soil by affecting DOM-Cu(II) complex capacity. The FDOM inhibited the adsorption of Cu(II), while DDOM promoted adsorption, which was significantly influenced by soil pH. Maximum adsorption capacity (Q _m) was 0.92 and 5.76 mg g⁻¹ in the presence of FDOM and DDOM, respectively. The adsorption process with DDOM could be better described by the Langmuir model, while that with FDOM was better described by the Freundlich model. The impacts caused by the dynamic changes of the chemical properties of DOM under natural conditions should therefore be considered in the risk assessment and remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals.

http://ift.tt/2wiZYb9

Scholar : These new articles for Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Corrigendum Correction to: Nakajima and Oda, Ketonuria may be associated with low serum amylase independent of body weight and glucose metabolism Pages: 1-1 | DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2017.1357920 The interactions of cephalosporins on polyol pathway enzymes from sheep kidney Bülent Şengül & Şükrü Beydemir Pages: 1-10 | DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2017.1358749 Rapamycin mitigates erythrocyte membrane transport functions and oxidative stress during aging in rats Abhishek Kumar Singh, Sandeep Singh, Geetika Garg & Syed Ibrahim Rizvi Pages: 1-9 | DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2017.1359629 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Amyloid are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Amyloid and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Article Novel pathologic scoring tools predict end-stage kidney disease in light chain (AL) amyloidosis Samuel Rubinstein, Robert F. Cornell, Liping Du, Beatrice Concepcion, Stacey Goodman, Shelton Harrell, Sara Horst, Daniel Lenihan, David Slosky, Agnes Fogo & Anthony Langone Pages: 1-7 | DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2017.1360272 Long-term safety and efficacy of tafamidis for the treatment of hereditary transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy: results up to 6 years | Fabio A. Barroso, Daniel P. Judge, Ben Ebede, Huihua Li, Michelle Stewart, Leslie Amass & Marla B. Sultan Pages: 1-11 | DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2017.1357545 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Autophagy are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Autophagy and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Translational Brief Report Activation of DRD5 (dopamine receptor D5) inhibits tumor growth by autophagic cell death Zhi Gen Leng, Shao Jian Lin, Ze Rui Wu, Yu Hang Guo, Lin Cai, Han Bing Shang, Hao Tang, Ya Jun Xue, Mei Qing Lou, Wenxiu Zhao, Wei-Dong Le, Wei Guo Zhao, Xun Zhang & Zhe Bao Wu Pages: 1-16 | DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2017.1328347 Translational Research Paper Methyl-β-cyclodextrin restores impaired autophagy flux in Niemann-Pick C1-deficient cells through activation of AMPK | Sheng Dai, Andrés E. Dulcey, Xin Hu, Christopher A. Wassif, Forbes D. Porter, Christopher P. Austin, Daniel S. Ory, Juan Marugan & Wei Zheng Pages: 1-17 | DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2017.1329081 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.