Identification of evolutionarily conserved non-AUG-initiated N-terminal extensions in human coding sequences.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ivanov, Ivaylo P

2011-05-01

In eukaryotes, it is generally assumed that translation initiation occurs at the AUG codon closest to the messenger RNA 5\\' cap. However, in certain cases, initiation can occur at codons differing from AUG by a single nucleotide, especially the codons CUG, UUG, GUG, ACG, AUA and AUU. While non-AUG initiation has been experimentally verified for a handful of human genes, the full extent to which this phenomenon is utilized--both for increased coding capacity and potentially also for novel regulatory mechanisms--remains unclear. To address this issue, and hence to improve the quality of existing coding sequence annotations, we developed a methodology based on phylogenetic analysis of predicted 5\\' untranslated regions from orthologous genes. We use evolutionary signatures of protein-coding sequences as an indicator of translation initiation upstream of annotated coding sequences. Our search identified novel conserved potential non-AUG-initiated N-terminal extensions in 42 human genes including VANGL2, FGFR1, KCNN4, TRPV6, HDGF, CITED2, EIF4G3 and NTF3, and also affirmed the conservation of known non-AUG-initiated extensions in 17 other genes. In several instances, we have been able to obtain independent experimental evidence of the expression of non-AUG-initiated products from the previously published literature and ribosome profiling data.

Eurydice at Euston?: Walter Benjamin and Marc Augé Go Underground

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graeme Gilloch

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Taking as its point of departure Walter Benjamin’s repeatedly unsuccessful attempt to give spatial form to his past, this paper suggests that it is perhaps the contemporary French anthropologist, Marc Augé, who provides the most appropriate envisioning of a ‘map of memories’ in his brief writings on the Parisian métro system. For Augé, the labyrinthine subway network constitutes nothing less than a ‘memory machine’ in which lines and station names serve as mnemonics, recalling long-forgotten childhood encounters and experiences. Mirroring the cityscape above, places themselves unexplored, unknown, the serried toponyms of the métro become an incantation summoning forth the shades of the past. As Augé points out, those stations that provide opportunities to change lines are felicitously termed ‘correspondences’, a Baudelairean term that fascinated Benjamin and informed his key historiographical notion of the ‘dialectical image,’ the intersection and mutual illumination of past and present moments. For me, Augé’s highly suggestive reflections bring to mind my own memories of a London childhood around 1970. Looking at the London underground map today, I cannot but see the sites of many past meetings and partings, dots connected by lines forming complex figures, constellations of memory.

Inkanyiso full journal 7 Aug 2013.fm

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Holardoughyean

2013-08-07

Aug 7, 2013 ... First, he assumed that accumulation of private property allowed people to provide for themselves and their families the necessities of life. Once freed .... Yoruba, things themselves are imbued with ontological and social values, accounting for why they incite in their owners a feeling of satisfaction and pride.

JUST Vol. 28 No. 2 Aug 2008

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ben

2008-08-02

Aug 2, 2008 ... The overall mean age of sexual activity debut among both boys and girls was 11.4 years. High. -risk sexual behaviour increased with increasing age and class, and was significantly higher among females than males. Condom use was generally low among ... are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, a.

462- 27 Aug 2009.indd [ Final version].indd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-08-27

Aug 27, 2009 ... the patient is the captain of the team and the doctors, diabetes educator ...... The good research guide for small-scale social research projects, 3rd edn., ... and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice, 6th edn.,. Mosby, St ...

JUST Vol. 28 No. 2 Aug 2008

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ben

2008-08-02

Aug 2, 2008 ... ingly, argued that world history – which he has undertaken in Age of Capital is only possible after ... of Marxism, he quotes from Marx to serve as a ... Engel's prediction of the rebirth of socialism in ...... and especially cotton in return for no advantages, ... pean stock are treated as winners together with Ja-.

466-Sabelo-28 Aug 2009.indd [Final version].indd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-08-28

Aug 28, 2009 ... Nurses' perceptions about Botswana ART adherence .... in Botswana, based on the established prevalence rate among pregnant women (UNAIDS 2004:1). ..... because some had to travel up to 200 kilometres to reach the.

458- 21 Aug 2009 [FINAL VERSION version].indd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-08-21

Aug 21, 2009 ... More research is recommended to measure the impact of these strategies on a long- ... In terms of iron status, 10% of children in South Africa are iron-depleted, one in ..... Food models and cooked porridge samples were used as memory ..... may have been too short to have a statistically significant impact.

Del desarrollismo al (neoextractivismo (1969-2017. Auge, decadencia y resurgimiento de la minería del hierro en Sierra Grande, provincia de Río Negro (Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastián Gómez Lende

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Aunque en la Argentina la problemática del avance del extractivismo y la minería metalífera ha sido ampliamente debatida en tiempos recientes, en el pasado esta última actividad ha sido clave respecto de la configuración de la matriz productiva de ciertas provincias. Tal es el caso del complejo minero-fabril de Sierra Grande (provincia de Río Negro, única explotación metalífera surgida en el país por iniciativa del Estado nacional. Este trabajo analiza el auge, decadencia y resurgimiento de la minería del hierro en Sierra Grande, a la luz del contexto impuesto por proyecto desarrollista estatal primero (1969-1992, la fase neoliberal después (1993-2004, y finalmente el modelo (neoextractivista (2005-2017. Asimismo, se demuestra que este último período ha sido escenario del despliegue de variadas formas de acumulación por desposesión, como la privatización y extranjerización de bienes comunes, la configuración de enclaves exportadores, la superexplotación del trabajo, la expropiación político-económica y la desapropiación socio-ecológica.

Probable maximum flood on the Ha Ha River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damov, D.; Masse, B.

1997-01-01

Results of a probable maximum flood (PMF) study conducted for various locations along the Ha Ha river, a tributary of the Saguenay River, were discussed. The study was undertaken for use in the design and construction of new hydraulic structures for water supply for a pulp and paper facility, following the Saguenay Flood in July 1996. Many different flood scenarios were considered, including combinations of snow-melt with rainfall. Using computer simulations, it was shown that the largest flood flows were generated by summer-fall PMF. 5 refs., 12 figs

HA-Coated Implant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daugaard, Henrik; Søballe, Kjeld; Bechtold, Joan E

2014-01-01

of improving the fixation of implants. Of these, hydroxyapatite (HA) is the most widely used and most extensively investigated. HA is highly osseoconductive, and the positive effect is well documented in both basic and long-term clinical research [1–6]. This chapter describes experimental and clinical studies...

Niveles de GLP-1 tras el test de sobrecarga oral de glucosa en mujeres con antecedentes de diabetes mellitus gestacional

OpenAIRE

Maraver Selfa, Silvia María

2017-01-01

Se ha descrito una reducción significativa del efecto incretina en pacientes con DM2 que puede deberse a la secreción alterada de las hormonas incretinas y/o a una acción insulinotrópica defectuosa de las mismas. Podría plantearse que este efecto incretina deteriorado en pacientes con trastornos del metabolismo hidrocarbonado, fuese un defecto primario precoz que preceda al desarrollo de la DM2, o secundario a la propia hiperglucemia. Objetivos. Estudiar el patrón de secreción de GLP-1 ...

Mayores y Bienestar Personal

OpenAIRE

Martínez Baro, Paola

2016-01-01

A pesar de que el bienestar tiene numerosas definiciones, todas ellas coinciden en que es básico para una buena calidad de vida. Esta necesidad se refiere a toda la población en general, desde la infancia a la senectud. Pero existen diferentes colectivos en los cuales el bienestar se encuentra más deteriorado, como puede ser el de la vejez, debido a la gran cantidad de cambios de valencia negativa con los que se encuentran los sujetos en esta última etapa de sus vidas. Por ello se ha consider...

Morphological Effects of HA on the Cell Compatibility of Electrospun HA/PLGA Composite Nanofiber Scaffolds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Haider

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tissue engineering is faced with an uphill challenge to design a platform with appropriate topography and suitable surface chemistry, which could encourage desired cellular activities and guide bone tissue regeneration. To develop such scaffolds, composite nanofiber scaffolds of nHA and sHA with PLGA were fabricated using electrospinning technique. nHA was synthesized using precipitation method, whereas sHA was purchased. The nHA and sHA were suspended in PLGA solution separately and electrospun at optimized electrospinning parameters. The composite nanofiber scaffolds were characterized by FE-SEM, EDX analysis, TEM, XRD analysis, FTIR, and X-ray photoelectron. The potential of the HA/PLGA composite nanofiber as bone scaffolds in terms of their bioactivity and biocompatibility was assessed by culturing the osteoblastic cells onto the composite nanofiber scaffolds. The results from in vitro studies revealed that the nHA/PLGA composite nanofiber scaffolds showed higher cellular adhesion, proliferation, and enhanced osteogenesis performance, along with increased Ca+2 ions release compared to the sHA/PLGA composite nanofiber scaffolds and pristine PLGA nanofiber scaffold. The results show that the structural dependent property of HA might affect its potential as bone scaffold and implantable materials in regenerative medicine and clinical tissue engineering.

867.pdf | aug2012 | jess | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; jess; aug2012; 867.pdf. 404! error. The page your are looking for can not be found! Please check the link or use the navigation bar at the top. YouTube; Twitter; Facebook; Blog. Academy News. IAS Logo. 29th Mid-year meeting. Posted on 19 January 2018. The 29th Mid-year meeting of the Academy will be held from ...

Design and fabrication of carbon fibers with needle-like nano-HA coating to reinforce granular nano-HA composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xudong; Zhao, Xueni; Zhang, Li; Wang, Wanying; Zhang, Jing; He, Fuzhen; Yang, Jianjun

2017-08-01

Carbon fibers (CFs) with needle-like nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) coating were first used as reinforcing materials named nHA-CFs to improve the mechanical properties of pure HA. A powder mixture containing nHA-CFs and granular nano-HA (gHA) was directly sintered by hot pressing at appropriate sintering pressure and temperature. A three-phase nHA-CFs/gHA composite was designed, fabricated, and used as an artificial bone. Results show that the bending strengths of the nHA-CFs/gHA composite are approximately 41.1% and 59.2% higher than those of CFs/gHA composite and pure HA, respectively. The possible reinforcing mechanism of nHA-CFs in the composite is also proposed at the end. When nHA-CFs are applied for preparation of nHA-CFs/gHA composites, the internal stress on its phase boundary with gHA matrix generated during cooling of sintered is significantly reduced due to the presence of the nHA coatings. It infers that nHA coatings on CFs might act as a bridge to control the forming of interfacial gaps between the gHA matrix and the CFs effectively. Our work provides additional insights into the feasibility of nHA-CFs/gHA composites as load-bearing implant materials in clinical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of n-HA with different surface-modified on the properties of n-HA/PLGA composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang Liuyun, E-mail: jlytxg@163.com [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China); Xiong Chengdong; Chen Dongliang [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China); Jiang Lixin [Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China); Graduated School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Pang Xiubing [Zhejiang Apeloa Medical Technology Co. Ltd, Jinhua 322118 (China)

2012-10-15

Graphical abstract: The bend strength of n-HA/PLGA composite with the unmodified n-HA becomes lower than that of PLGA. However, when n-HA was modified by different methods, the bend strength of g-n-HA/PLGA composites gets a little increase than PLGA, and the g3-n-HA/PLGA shows the highest bend strength at 3% g3-n-HA loading amount in weight, reached 162 MPa, which was 24.4% higher than that of pure PLGA. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new surface modification method for n-HA of combining stearic acid with surface-grafting L-lactic was adopted. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Three different surface modification methods for n-HA were compared in detail. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The new surface modification method was the most ideal method in this study. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The g3-n-HA/PLGA composite had the highest bending strength, which would be potential to be used as bone fracture internal fixation materials. - Abstract: Three different surface modification methods for nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) of stearic acid, grafted with L-lactide, combining stearic acid and surface-grafting L-lactic were adopted, respectively. The surface modification reaction and the effect of different methods were evaluated by Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that n-HA surfaces were all successful modified, and the modification method of combining stearic acid and surface-grafting L-lactic had the greatest grafting amount and the best dispersion among the three modification methods. Then, the n-HA with three different surface modification and unmodified n-HA were introduced into PLGA, respectively, and a serials of n-HA/PLGA composites with 3% n-HA amount in weight were prepared by solution mixing, and the properties of n-HA/PLGA composites were also investigated by electromechanical universal tester and scanning electron

Personnel dosimetry: specialized industrial services. Jan 1997-Aug 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillen, J.A.

2001-09-01

The purpose of this report is to evaluate data from personnel dosimetry of the Servicios Industriales Especializados, that is a licensee with gamma sources for non destructive testing. Data of the period Jan-97 to Aug-01 are evaluated in terms of collective doses. This report was made according to the national regulations that stablish to control that annual limits and reference levels in personnel dosimetry must be controlled

Greta Kaits 9. apr. 1928 - 29. aug. 1946 : [luuletused] / Mats Traat

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Traat, Mats, 1936-

2008-01-01

Sisu : Greta Kaits 9. apr. 1928 - 29. aug. 1946 ; Villem Hänilane 1898 - 1952 ; Peeter Pedak 1897 - 1953 ; Max Äidse 1903 - 1959 ; Lavinia Laidam ; Buchard Pruus ; Sergei Krivokopõtov ; Allan Luht 5. VII 1962 - 17. V 2007 ; Karl Saarmets 9. III 1924 - 14. IX 1981 ; Raimo Ritsik

Architectures fromagères en pays d’Auge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yannick Lecherbonnier

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Camemberts, livarots et pont-l’évêque participent encore largement à l'identification du pays d'Auge. Entre Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives et Livarot, de nombreux hâloirs, ou pièces d’affinage, témoignent de l’importance d’une production fermière aujourd’hui révolue et souvent peu documentée. Une simple lecture architecturale de ces édifices permet cependant de déterminer quels fromages y ont été affinés. Elle remet aussi en cause les principes couramment admis concernant leur aménagement, en particulier la disposition de leurs ouvertures, et montre que les prescriptions techniques émises au XIXe siècle et relayées par les sociétés savantes, sont restées lettre morte.Camemberts, livarots and pont-l’évêque are still largely part of the characterizing components of the pays d’Auge. Between Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives and Livarot, many hâloirs or cheese maturing rooms attest the importance of that bygone and often poorly documented agricultural production. A mere architectural examination of these buildings allows us nevertheless to determine which kind of cheese had been matured in which building. It gives us also a whole new perspective on the commonly received principles about the arrangement of the buildings, especially the setting of their apertures, and points the fact that the technical prescriptions from the 19th century that have been spread through the scientific societies have had no follow-up.

Adhesive strength of hydroxyl apatite(HA coating and biomechanics behavior of HA-coated prosthesis:an experimental study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian-yang ZHANG

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Objective To explore the influence of adhesive strength of hydroxyapatite(HA coating on the post-implantation stability of HA-coated prosthesis.Methods The adhesive strength and biomechanics behavior of HA coating were studied by histopathological observation,material parameters and biomechanical testing,the titanium(Ti-coated prosthesis was employed as control.Results Scratch test showed that the adhesive strength of HA coating was significantly lower than that of Ti coating(P < 0.01.Histopathological examination and bone morphometry showed that,at the early stage of prosthesis implantation,the bony growth around HA-coated prosthesis was significantly higher than that around Ti-coated prosthesis(P < 0.01,but the ultimate shear strength of HA-coated prosthesis was much lower than that of Ti-coated prosthesis(P < 0.01.After the push-out test with prosthesis,histopathological observation showed that there were accumulations of clump-and strip-like granular residues on the surface of bones that newly grew around the HA-coated prosthesis,and surface energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX analysis also confirmed that the shear stress induced HA decohesion from the substrate of prosthesis.Conclusions Although HA coating showed a satisfactory effect on early bone formation and prosthetic stability,due to the deficiencies of adhesive strength,the early stability of prosthesis may be gradually destroyed by the shear loads of human body and coating degradation.

Adhesive strength of hydroxyl apatite(HA) coating and biomechanics behavior of HA-coated prosthesis:an experimental study

OpenAIRE

Tian-yang ZHANG; Yong-hong DUAN; Shu ZHU; Jin-yu ZHU; Qing-sheng ZHU

2011-01-01

Objective To explore the influence of adhesive strength of hydroxyapatite(HA) coating on the post-implantation stability of HA-coated prosthesis.Methods The adhesive strength and biomechanics behavior of HA coating were studied by histopathological observation,material parameters and biomechanical testing,the titanium(Ti)-coated prosthesis was employed as control.Results Scratch test showed that the adhesive strength of HA coating was significantly lower than that of Ti coating(P < 0.01).Hist...

The HaDREB2 transcription factor enhances basal thermotolerance and longevity of seeds through functional interaction with HaHSFA9

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carranco Raúl

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transcription factor HaDREB2 was identified in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. as a drought-responsive element-binding factor 2 (DREB2 with unique properties. HaDREB2 and the sunflower Heat Shock Factor A9 (HaHSFA9 co-activated the Hahsp17.6G1 promoter in sunflower embryos. Both factors could be involved in transcriptional co-activation of additional small heat stress protein (sHSP promoters, and thus contribute to the HaHSFA9-mediated enhancement of longevity and basal thermotolerance of seeds. Results We found that overexpression of HaDREB2 in seeds did not enhance longevity. This was deduced from assays of basal thermotolerance and controlled seed-deterioration, which were performed with transgenic tobacco. Furthermore, the constitutive overexpression of HaDREB2 did not increase thermotolerance in seedlings or result in the accumulation of HSPs at normal growth temperatures. In contrast, when HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 were conjointly overexpressed in seeds, we observed positive effects on seed longevity, beyond those observed with overexpression of HaHSFA9 alone. Such additional effects are accompanied by a subtle enhancement of the accumulation of subsets of sHSPs belonging to the CI and CII cytosolic classes. Conclusion Our results reveal the functional interdependency of HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 in seeds. HaDREB2 differs from other previously characterized DREB2 factors in plants in terms of its unique functional interaction with the seed-specific HaHSFA9 factor. No functional interaction between HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9 was observed when both factors were conjointly overexpressed in vegetative tissues. We therefore suggest that additional, seed-specific factors, or protein modifications, could be required for the functional interaction between HaDREB2 and HaHSFA9.

Molecular aspects of zygotic embryogenesis in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.): correlation of positive histone marks with HaWUS expression and putative link HaWUS/HaL1L.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvini, Mariangela; Fambrini, Marco; Giorgetti, Lucia; Pugliesi, Claudio

2016-01-01

The link HaWUS/ HaL1L , the opposite transcriptional behavior, and the decrease/increase in positive histone marks bond to both genes suggest an inhibitory effect of WUS on HaL1L in sunflower zygotic embryos. In Arabidopsis, a group of transcription factors implicated in the earliest events of embryogenesis is the WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) protein family including WUSCHEL (WUS) and other 14 WOX protein, some of which contain a conserved WUS-box domain in addition to the homeodomain. WUS transcripts appear very early in embryogenesis, at the 16-cell embryo stage, but gradually become restricted to the center of the developing shoot apical meristem (SAM) primordium and continues to be expressed in cells of the niche/organizing center of SAM and floral meristems to maintain stem cell population. Moreover, WUS has decisive roles in the embryonic program presumably promoting the vegetative-to-embryonic transition and/or maintaining the identity of the embryonic stem cells. However, data on the direct interaction between WUS and key genes for seed development (as LEC1 and L1L) are not collected. The novelty of this report consists in the characterization of Helianthus annuus WUS (HaWUS) gene and in its analysis regarding the pattern of the methylated lysine 4 (K4) of the Histone H3 and of the acetylated histone H3 during the zygotic embryo development. Also, a parallel investigation was performed for HaL1L gene since two copies of the WUS-binding site (WUSATA), previously identified on HaL1L nucleotide sequence, were able to be bound by the HaWUS recombinant protein suggesting a not described effect of HaWUS on HaL1L transcription.

Biomedical potential of chitosan/HA and chitosan/β-1,3-glucan/HA biomaterials as scaffolds for bone regeneration — A comparative study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Przekora, Agata, E-mail: agata.przekora@umlub.pl [Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin (Poland); Palka, Krzysztof [Department of Materials Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20-618 Lublin (Poland); Ginalska, Grazyna [Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin (Poland)

2016-01-01

The aim of this work was to compare biomedical potential of chitosan/hydroxyapatite (chit/HA) and novel chitosan/β-1,3-glucan/hydroxyapatite (chit/glu/HA) materials as scaffolds for bone regeneration via characterization of their biocompatibility, porosity, mechanical properties, and water uptake behaviour. Biocompatibility of the scaffolds was assessed in direct-contact with the materials using normal human foetal osteoblast cell line. Cytotoxicity and osteoblast proliferation rate were evaluated. Porosity was assessed using computed microtomography analysis and mechanical properties were determined by compression testing. Obtained results demonstrated that chit/HA scaffold possessed significantly better mechanical properties (compressive strength: 1.23 MPa, Young's modulus: 0.46 MPa) than chit/glu/HA material (compressive strength: 0.26 MPa, Young's modulus: 0.25 MPa). However, addition of bacterial β-1,3-glucan to the chit/HA scaffold improved its flexibility and porosity. Moreover, chit/glu/HA scaffold revealed significantly higher water uptake capability (52.6% after 24 h of soaking) compared to the chit/HA (30.7%) and thus can serve as a very good drug delivery carrier. Chit/glu/HA scaffold was also more favourable to osteoblast survival (near 100% viability after 24-h culture), proliferation, and spreading compared to the chit/HA (63% viability). The chit/glu/HA possesses better biomedical potential than chit/HA scaffold. Nevertheless, poor mechanical properties of the chit/glu/HA limit its application to non-load bearing implantation area. - Highlights: • Chitosan/HA and chit/β-1,3-glucan/HA scaffolds for bone regeneration were compared. • Chit/HA significantly reduced osteoblast viability to 63% compared to chit/glu/HA. • Unlike chit/HA, chit/glu/HA favoured cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. • Chit/HA had better compressive strength and Young's modulus than chit/glu/HA. • Chit/glu/HA revealed significantly higher

Osteoblast interaction with laser cladded HA and SiO2-HA coatings on Ti-6Al-4V

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yuling; Serpersu, Kaan; He Wei; Paital, Sameer R.; Dahotre, Narendra B.

2011-01-01

In order to improve the bioactivity and biocompatibility of titanium endosseous implants, the morphology and composition of the surfaces were modified. Polished Ti-6Al-4V substrates were coated by a laser cladding process with different precursors: 100 wt.% HA and 25 wt.% SiO 2 -HA. X-ray diffraction of the laser processed samples showed the presence of CaTiO 3 , Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , and Ca 2 SiO 4 phases within the coatings. From in vitro studies, it was observed that compared to the unmodified substrate all laser cladded samples presented improved cellular interactions and bioactivity. The samples processed with 25 wt.% SiO 2 -HA precursor showed a significantly higher HA precipitation after immersion in simulated body fluid than 100 wt.% HA precursor and titanium substrates. The in vitro biocompatibility of the laser cladded coatings and titanium substrate was investigated by culturing of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cell line and analyzing the cell viability, cell proliferation, and cell morphology. A significantly higher cell attachment and proliferation rate were observed for both laser cladded 100 wt.% HA and 25 wt.% SiO 2 -HA samples. Compared to 100 wt.% HA sample, 25 wt.% SiO 2 -HA samples presented a slightly improved cellular interaction due to the addition of SiO 2 . The staining of the actin filaments showed that the laser cladded samples induced a normal cytoskeleton and well-developed focal adhesion contacts. Scanning electron microscopic image of the cell cultured samples revealed better cell attachment and spreading for 25 wt.% SiO 2 -HA and 100 wt.% HA coatings than titanium substrate. These results suggest that the laser cladding process improves the bioactivity and biocompatibility of titanium. The observed biological improvements are mainly due to the coating induced changes in surface chemistry and surface morphology. Highlights: → Laser cladding of Ti alloys with bioceramics creates new phases. → Laser cladded samples with SiO 2 -doped

Characterization of New PEEK/HA Composites with 3D HA Network Fabricated by Extrusion Freeforming.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaezi, Mohammad; Black, Cameron; Gibbs, David M R; Oreffo, Richard O C; Brady, Mark; Moshrefi-Torbati, Mohamed; Yang, Shoufeng

2016-05-26

Addition of bioactive materials such as calcium phosphates or Bioglass, and incorporation of porosity into polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been identified as an effective approach to improve bone-implant interfaces and osseointegration of PEEK-based devices. In this paper, a novel production technique based on the extrusion freeforming method is proposed that yields a bioactive PEEK/hydroxyapatite (PEEK/HA) composite with a unique configuration in which the bioactive phase (i.e., HA) distribution is computer-controlled within a PEEK matrix. The 100% interconnectivity of the HA network in the biocomposite confers an advantage over alternative forms of other microstructural configurations. Moreover, the technique can be employed to produce porous PEEK structures with controlled pore size and distribution, facilitating greater cellular infiltration and biological integration of PEEK composites within patient tissue. The results of unconfined, uniaxial compressive tests on these new PEEK/HA biocomposites with 40% HA under both static and cyclic mode were promising, showing the composites possess yield and compressive strength within the range of human cortical bone suitable for load bearing applications. In addition, preliminary evidence supporting initial biological safety of the new technique developed is demonstrated in this paper. Sufficient cell attachment, sustained viability in contact with the sample over a seven-day period, evidence of cell bridging and matrix deposition all confirmed excellent biocompatibility.

Characterization of New PEEK/HA Composites with 3D HA Network Fabricated by Extrusion Freeforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Vaezi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Addition of bioactive materials such as calcium phosphates or Bioglass, and incorporation of porosity into polyetheretherketone (PEEK has been identified as an effective approach to improve bone-implant interfaces and osseointegration of PEEK-based devices. In this paper, a novel production technique based on the extrusion freeforming method is proposed that yields a bioactive PEEK/hydroxyapatite (PEEK/HA composite with a unique configuration in which the bioactive phase (i.e., HA distribution is computer-controlled within a PEEK matrix. The 100% interconnectivity of the HA network in the biocomposite confers an advantage over alternative forms of other microstructural configurations. Moreover, the technique can be employed to produce porous PEEK structures with controlled pore size and distribution, facilitating greater cellular infiltration and biological integration of PEEK composites within patient tissue. The results of unconfined, uniaxial compressive tests on these new PEEK/HA biocomposites with 40% HA under both static and cyclic mode were promising, showing the composites possess yield and compressive strength within the range of human cortical bone suitable for load bearing applications. In addition, preliminary evidence supporting initial biological safety of the new technique developed is demonstrated in this paper. Sufficient cell attachment, sustained viability in contact with the sample over a seven-day period, evidence of cell bridging and matrix deposition all confirmed excellent biocompatibility.

Strontium-90 and cesium-137 in milk (consuming districts) (from May 1982 to Aug. 1982)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Strontium-90 and cesium-137 in milk (consuming districts from May to Aug. 1982) were determined. Commercial milk was purchased in 20 consuming districts. The results are shown in a table. (Namekawa, K.)

Temperature-induced assembly of semiconductor nanocrystals into fractal architectures and thermoelectric power properties in Au/Ge bilayer films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Quanbao; Wang Jian; Jiao Zheng [Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Wu Minghong, E-mail: mhwu@staff.shu.edu.cn [Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Shek, Chan-Hung; Lawrence Wu, C.M.; Lai, Joseph K.L. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong); Chen Zhiwen, E-mail: cnzwchen@yahoo.com.cn [Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (Hong Kong)

2011-08-15

Highlights: > Ge fractal architectures were achieved by temperature-induced assembly. > The appearance of fractal architectures influences the thermoelectric power. > But it has little effect on the resistivity. > The values of the superlocalization exponent were within 1.22 {<=} {xi} {<=} 1.29. > It was higher than expected for two-dimension fractal system. - Abstract: Fractal architectures of semiconductor nanocrystals were successfully achieved by temperature-induced assembly of semiconductor nanocrystals in gold/germanium (Au/Ge) bilayer films. New assessment strategies of fractal architectures are of fundamental importance in the development of micro/nano-devices. Temperature-dependent properties including resistivity and thermoelectric power (TEP) of Au/Ge bilayer films with self-similar fractal patterns were investigated in detail. Experimental results indicated that the microstructure of Au film plays an important role in the characteristics of Au/Ge bilayer films after annealing and the crystallization processes of amorphous Ge accompany by fractal formation of Ge nanocrystals via temperature-induced assembly. The appearance of fractal architectures has significantly influence on the TEP but little effect on the resistivity of the annealed bilayer film. By analysis of the data, we found that the values of superlocalization exponent are within 1.22 {<=} {xi} {<=} 1.29, which are higher than expected for two-dimension fractal systems. The results provided possible evidence for the superlocalization on fractal architectures in Au/Ge bilayer films. The TEP measurements are considered a more effective method than the conductivity for investigating superlocalization in a percolating system.

Characterization, Corrosion Resistance, and Cell Response of High-Velocity Flame-Sprayed HA and HA/TiO2 Coatings on 316L SS

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Tejinder Pal; Singh, Harpreet; Singh, Hazoor

2012-09-01

The main aim of this study is to evaluate corrosion and biocompatibility behavior of thermal spray hydroxyapatite (HA) and hydroxyapatite/titania bond (HA/TiO2)-coated 316L stainless steel (316L SS). In HA/TiO2 coatings, TiO2 was used as a bond coat between HA top coat and 316L SS substrate. The coatings were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy, and corrosion resistance determined for the uncoated substrate and the two coatings. The biological behavior was investigated by the cell culture studies using osteosarcoma cell line KHOS-NP (R-970-5). The corrosion resistance of the steel was found to increase after the deposition of the HA and HA/TiO2 bond coatings. Both HA, as well as, HA/TiO2 coatings exhibit excellent bond strength of 49 and 47 MPa, respectively. The cell culture studies showed that HA-coated 316L SS specimens appeared more biocompatible than the uncoated and HA/TiO2-coated 316L SS specimens.

Osteoblast interaction with laser cladded HA and SiO{sub 2}-HA coatings on Ti-6Al-4V

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang Yuling [Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004 (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Serpersu, Kaan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); He Wei, E-mail: whe5@utk.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Paital, Sameer R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Dahotre, Narendra B. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207 (United States)

2011-12-01

In order to improve the bioactivity and biocompatibility of titanium endosseous implants, the morphology and composition of the surfaces were modified. Polished Ti-6Al-4V substrates were coated by a laser cladding process with different precursors: 100 wt.% HA and 25 wt.% SiO{sub 2}-HA. X-ray diffraction of the laser processed samples showed the presence of CaTiO{sub 3}, Ca{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}, and Ca{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} phases within the coatings. From in vitro studies, it was observed that compared to the unmodified substrate all laser cladded samples presented improved cellular interactions and bioactivity. The samples processed with 25 wt.% SiO{sub 2}-HA precursor showed a significantly higher HA precipitation after immersion in simulated body fluid than 100 wt.% HA precursor and titanium substrates. The in vitro biocompatibility of the laser cladded coatings and titanium substrate was investigated by culturing of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cell line and analyzing the cell viability, cell proliferation, and cell morphology. A significantly higher cell attachment and proliferation rate were observed for both laser cladded 100 wt.% HA and 25 wt.% SiO{sub 2}-HA samples. Compared to 100 wt.% HA sample, 25 wt.% SiO{sub 2}-HA samples presented a slightly improved cellular interaction due to the addition of SiO{sub 2}. The staining of the actin filaments showed that the laser cladded samples induced a normal cytoskeleton and well-developed focal adhesion contacts. Scanning electron microscopic image of the cell cultured samples revealed better cell attachment and spreading for 25 wt.% SiO{sub 2}-HA and 100 wt.% HA coatings than titanium substrate. These results suggest that the laser cladding process improves the bioactivity and biocompatibility of titanium. The observed biological improvements are mainly due to the coating induced changes in surface chemistry and surface morphology. Highlights: {yields} Laser cladding of Ti alloys with bioceramics creates new

Effect of Water-Glass Coating on HA and HA-TCP Samples for MSCs Adhesion, Proliferation, and Differentiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Indu Bajpai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Ca-P and silicon based materials have become very popular as bone tissue engineering materials. In this study, water-glass (also known as sodium silicate glass was coated on sintered hydroxyapatite (HA and HA-TCP (TCP stands for tricalcium phosphate samples and subsequently heat-treated at 600°C for 2 hrs. X-rays diffraction showed the presence of β- and α-TCP phases along with HA in the HA-TCP samples. Samples without coating, with water-glass coating, and heat-treated after water-glass coating were used to observe the adhesion and proliferation response of bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. Cell culture was carried out for 4 hrs, 1 day, and 7 days. Interestingly, all samples showed similar response for cell adhesion and proliferation up to 7-day culture but fibronectin, E-cadherin, and osteogenic differentiation related genes (osteocalcin and osteopontin were significantly induced in heat-treated water-glass coated HA-TCP samples. A water-glass coating on Ca-P samples was not found to influence the cell proliferation response significantly but activated some extracellular matrix genes and induced osteogenic differentiation in the MSCs.

Püha õhtu seltskonnalaud / Kaire Nurk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Nurk, Kaire, 1960-

2005-01-01

Püha õhtusöömaaja teemast kunstis. Saksa kunstiajaloolase Horst Schwebeli poolt Leonardo da Vinci "Püha õhtusöömaaja" XX sajandi "töötlustes" välja toodud poliitilise agitatsiooni ja ühisest probleemist haaratud seltskonna kujutiste suunast. Laua kujutisest kunstis

Justicia y racionamiento sanitario en el Plan AUGE: dilemas bioéticos asociados a la distribución de recursos escasos Justiça e fundamentação sanitária no Plano AUGE: dilemas bioéticos associados à distribuição de recursos escassos Justice and health care rationing in AUGE: bioethical dilemmas associated to the distribution of scarce resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Zúñiga Fajuri

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Los criterios de racionamiento en materia sanitaria establecidos por el Plan AUGE en Chile, se fundan principalmente en máximas de eficiencia que son contrarias a los principios de equidad que debieran sustentar las políticas sanitarias de las sociedades democráticas. Para la aplicación y justificación de las técnicas de racionamiento sanitario se requiere no sólo una reflexión desde la ciencia médica y la economía de la salud, sino que también desde la filosofía moral y la bioética. El estudio de las teorías de la justicia distributiva sanitaria permite valorar críticamente los criterios de racionamiento sanitarios utilizados por las Guías Clínicas de cada una de las patologías GES/AUGE que resultan contrarios al principio de equidad.Os critérios de fundamentação em matéria sanitária estabelecidos pelo Plano AUGE, no Chile, se fundam, principalmente, em máximas de eficiência que são contrárias aos princípios de equidade que deveriam sustentar as políticas sanitárias ds sociedades democráticas. Para a aplicação e justificação das técnicas de racionamento sanitário se requer não só uma reflexão a partir da ciência médica e da economia da saúde, mas, também, a partir da filosofia moral e da bioética. O estudo das teorias da justiça distributiva sanitária permite valorar criticamente os critérios de racionamento sanitário utilizados pelas Guias Clínicas de cada uma das patologias GES/AUGE que resultam contrários ao princípio da equidade.Rationing criteria in health care establish by AUGE, in Chile, are based, mainly, in maximum efficiency, contrary to the equity principle, which should sustain health care policies in democratic societies. For the application and justification of health care rationing techniques is required not only a medical science and health care economy reflection, but a moral philosophy and bioethical reflection as well. The study of health care distributive justice theories

Effect of humic acid (HA) on sulfonamide sorption by biochars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, Fei; Sun, Binbin; Chen, Xi; Zhu, Lingyan; Liu, Zhongqi; Xing, Baoshan

2015-01-01

Effect of quantity and fractionation of loaded humic acid (HA) on biochar sorption for sulfonamides was investigated. The HA was applied in two different modes, i.e. pre-coating and co-introduction with sorbate. In pre-coating mode, the polar fractions of HA tended to interact with low-temperature biochars via H-bonding, while the hydrophobic fractions were likely to be adsorbed by high-temperature biochars through hydrophobic and π-π interactions, leading to different composition and structure of the HA adlayers. The influences of HA fractionation on biochar sorption for sulfonamides varied significantly, depending on the nature of interaction between HA fraction and sorbate. Meanwhile, co-introduction of HA with sulfonamides revealed that the effect of HA on sulfonamide sorption was also dependent on HA concentration. These findings suggest that the amount and fractionation of adsorbed HA are tailored by the surface properties of underlying biochars, which differently affect the sorption for organic contaminants. - Highlights: • Effect of quantity and fractionation of coated HA on sorption of sulfonamides by BC was studied. • Fractionation of coated HA is tailored by surface properties of BC. • Roles of HA in BC sorption depend on interaction between HA adlayer and sorbate. • Roles of HA in sulfonamide sorption by BC also depend on HA aqueous concentration. - The quantity and fractionation of adsorbed HA play a major role in sulfonamide sorption by biochars

Evaluation of the plasma hydrogen isotope content by residual gas analysis at JET and AUG

Science.gov (United States)

Drenik, A.; Alegre, D.; Brezinsek, S.; De Castro, A.; Kruezi, U.; Oberkofler, M.; Panjan, M.; Primc, G.; Reichbauer, T.; Resnik, M.; Rohde, V.; Seibt, M.; Schneider, P. A.; Wauters, T.; Zaplotnik, R.; ASDEX-Upgrade, the; EUROfusion MST1 Teams; contributors, JET

2017-12-01

The isotope content of the plasma reflects on the dynamics of isotope changeover experiments, efficiency of wall conditioning and the performance of a fusion device in the active phase of operation. The assessment of the isotope ratio of hydrogen and methane molecules is used as a novel method of assessing the plasma isotope ratios at JET and ASDEX-Upgrade (AUG). The isotope ratios of both molecules in general shows similar trends as the isotope ratio detected by other diagnostics. At JET, the absolute values of RGA signals are in relatively good agreement with each other and with spectroscopy data, while at AUG the deviation from neutral particle analyser data are larger, and the results show a consistent spatial distribution of the isotope ratio. It is further shown that the isotope ratio of the hydrogen molecule can be used to study the degree of dissociation of the injected gas during changeover experiments.

Imaging of Homeostatic, Neoplastic, and Injured Tissues by HA-Based Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Veiseh, Mandana; Breadner, Daniel; Ma, Jenny; Akentieva, Natalia; Savani, Rashmin C; Harrison, Rene; Mikilus, David; Collis, Lisa; Gustafson, Stefan; Lee, Ting-Yim; Koropatnick, James; Luyt, Leonard G.; Bissell, Mina J.; Turley, Eva A.

2013-01-01

An increase in hyaluronan (HA) synthesis, cellular uptake, and metabolism occurs during the remodeling of tissue microenvironments following injury and during disease processes such as cancer. We hypothesized that multimodality HA-based probes selectively target and detectably accumulate at sites of high HA metabolism, thus providing a flexible imaging strategy for monitoring disease and repair processes. Kinetic analyses confirmed favorable available serum levels of the probe following intravenous (i.v.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) injection. Nuclear (technetium-HA, 99mTc-HA, and iodine-HA, 125I-HA), optical (fluorescent Texas Red-HA, TR-HA), and magnetic resonance (gadolinium-HA, Gd-HA) probes imaged liver (99mTc-HA), breast cancer cells/xenografts (TR-HA, Gd-HA), and vascular injury (125I-HA, TR-HA). Targeting of HA probes to these sites appeared to result from selective HA receptor-dependent localization. Our results suggest that HA-based probes, which do not require polysaccharide backbone modification to achieve favorable half-life and distribution, can detect elevated HA metabolism in homeostatic, injured, and diseased tissues. PMID:22066590

UN SEGMENTO DEL TURISMO INTERNACIONAL EN AUGE: EL TURISMO DE CAZA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Ignacio Rengifo Gallego

2008-01-01

Full Text Available El número de turistas internacionales viene creciendo de forma continuada desde que existen fuentes estadísticas. Este crecimiento, que no sólo ha sido cuantitativo, sino espacial, ha ido acompañado de una segmentación del mercado en función de las motivaciones. Entre estos segmentos se halla el turismo cinegético, modalidad que ha experimentado un importante crecimiento en los últimos años por diversos motivos. Este incremento ha ido asociado a la movilidad de un porcentaje importante de cazadores de Europa y Estados Unidos, a la existencia de una gran variedad de especies cinegéticas en el mundo que se distribuyen de forma irregular por el territorio y al desarrollo de un entramado empresarial que participa en la comercialización de la caza.

Electrospun Porous PDLLA Fiber Membrane Coated with nHA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linhui Qiang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Porous poly- D, L-lactic acid (PDLLA electrospinning fiber membrane was prepared, and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA was adsorbed and wrapped into it during the unique shrinking process of the PDLLA fiber membrane to fabricate the PDLLA/nHA composite membrane scaffold for tissue engineering. Compare with the composite fibers prepared by blend electrospinning, most of nHA particles are observed to distribute on the surface of new type composite fibers, which could significantly improve the water wettability and induce the cellular adherence. FTIR analysis indicated that the PDLLA/nHA composite fibrous membrane was formed by physical adsorption. The combination was probed by scanning electron microscope, thermo-gravimetric, water contact angle and mechanical property analysis. It was proved that the nHA particles’ content and distribution, surface wettability, modulus and tensile strength of PDLLA/nHA composite fibrous membrane were influenced by the concentration of nHA dispersion and pores on the PDLLA fiber surface. The 10.6 wt % PDLLA/nHA composite fibrous membrane exhibits a more balanced tensile strength (3.28 MPa and surface wettability (with a water contact angle of 0° of the composite mats. Scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy images of chondrocyte proliferation further showed that the composite scaffold is non-toxic. The adherence and proliferation of chondrocytes on the 10.6 wt % PDLLA/nHA fibrous membrane was significantly improved, compared with PDLLA mat. The 10.6 wt % PDLLA/nHA composite fibrous membrane has potential application value as scaffold material in tissue engineering.

Preparation of bioactive porous HA/PCL composite scaffolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, J.; Guo, L.Y.; Yang, X.B. [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Weng, J. [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)], E-mail: jweng@swjtu.cn

2008-12-30

Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramic scaffold has been widely attracted the attention to act as a three-dimensional (3D) template for cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and thus promoting bone and cartilage regeneration because of its osteoinduction. However, the porous bioceramic scaffold is fragile so that it is not suitable to be applied in clinic for bone repair or replacement. Therefore, it is significant to improve the mechanical property of porous HA bioceramics while the interconnected structure is maintained for tissue ingrowth in vivo. In the present research, a porous composite scaffold composed of HA scaffold and polycaprolactone (PCL) lining was fabricated by the method of polymer impregnating to produce HA scaffold coated with PCL lining. Subsequently, the composite scaffolds were deposited with biomimetic coating for improving the bioactivity. The HA/PCL composite scaffolds with improved mechanical property and bioactivity is expected to be a promising bone substitute in tissue engineering applications.

Preparation of bioactive porous HA/PCL composite scaffolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, J.; Guo, L.Y.; Yang, X.B.; Weng, J.

2008-01-01

Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramic scaffold has been widely attracted the attention to act as a three-dimensional (3D) template for cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and thus promoting bone and cartilage regeneration because of its osteoinduction. However, the porous bioceramic scaffold is fragile so that it is not suitable to be applied in clinic for bone repair or replacement. Therefore, it is significant to improve the mechanical property of porous HA bioceramics while the interconnected structure is maintained for tissue ingrowth in vivo. In the present research, a porous composite scaffold composed of HA scaffold and polycaprolactone (PCL) lining was fabricated by the method of polymer impregnating to produce HA scaffold coated with PCL lining. Subsequently, the composite scaffolds were deposited with biomimetic coating for improving the bioactivity. The HA/PCL composite scaffolds with improved mechanical property and bioactivity is expected to be a promising bone substitute in tissue engineering applications

Comparación de ranking del Ministerio de Salud (Minsal e impacto financiero de las 40 primeras patologías Auge-GES vigentes en Chile Comparing the Minsal ranking with the financial impact of the first 40 Auge-GES pathologies in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Bustamante-Ubilla

2010-04-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo compara el ranking Minsal de 40 patologías Auge-GES con el determinado por impacto financiero. Se elaboró una base de datos homogénea, se estandarizaron datos y se aplicaron correlaciones Pearson y Spearman. Se concluye que el criterio de impacto financiero cambia efectivamente las prioridades y modifica la congruencia social de la política de Estado.This article compares the Minsal ranking of 40 Auge-GES pathologies with their financial impact. A homogeneous database was built, the data was standardized and Pearson and Spearman correlations were applied. The financial impact approach changes priorities and the social consistency of the state policy.

PROPUESTA DE UN MODELO DE CONTROL FISCAL PARA EL ESTADO COLOMBIANO: EL SISTEMA DE CONTROL FISCAL NACIONAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Ochoa Díaz

2003-01-01

Full Text Available En Colombia se ha venido aplicando el modelo de control fiscal que definió la Constitución de 1991, en el cual los departamentos y municipios disponen de autonomía para la organización y selección de los respectivos contralores. En lugar de mejorar el sistema de control fiscal, la politiquería y el clientelismo político lo han deteriorado en su calidad, con el consiguiente aumento innecesario de gastos en su operación. Esto ha facilitado la realización de numerosos ilícitos en los gobiernos locales y ha estimulado el avance de la corrupción. En este trabajo se establece un diagnóstico de la situación y se plantea un nuevo modelo que corresponde a un sistema integral de control fiscal para la nación colombiana, cuyas funciones serían técnicas, no políticas, para lo cual se conformaría una rama especializada, técnica y autónoma del Estado colombiano, que cubriría la vigilancia fiscal en los diferentes niveles del Gobierno: central, departamental y municipal.

De Madrid al cielo: La importancia de enfermar y morir en Madrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JESÚS M. DE MIGUEL

1988-01-01

Full Text Available Una tasa de mortalidad por debajo del promedio nacional español ha hecho que Madrid se gane la reputación de lugar sano para vivir y para morir; aquí, se examina esta reputación usando datos empíricos recientes. Las estadísticas de población demuestran cómo durante los últimos sesenta años, Madrid ha mostrado un mayor crecimiento durante los años 60 y 70, un período de desarrollo económico; desde entonces el nivel de salud se ha deteriorado. La prosperidad económica por sí misma no asegura unas condiciones mejores de la salud, a causa de las desigualdades y desequilibrios en la distribución y el control de los recursos sanitarios. Los datos sobre tipos de enfermedades, causas de hospitalización y periodos de estancia, embarazos, muertes accidentales, y nacimientos, matrimonios, y los índices de mortalidad para Madrid se presentan, y son comparados con los de Barcelona y los de España en su totalidad. De igual modo se sugieren otras áreas de investigación.

Preparation and characterization of bio-composite PEEK/nHA

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Y. S.; Bian, C. C.; Zhang, Z. Q.; Zhao, Y.; Yang, L.

2017-01-01

PEEK/nHA composite material, with excellent mechanical property as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and biological activity as hydroxyapatite (HA), has attracted wide attention of medical experts and materials science experts. The addition of hydroxyapatite was the decisive factor for biological activity in PEEK/nHA composite. In this paper, acicular nanohydroxyapatite was prepared by chemical precipitation method with Ca(NO3)2, (NH4)2HPO4 as raw material; PEEK/nHA composite was prepared by solution blending and vacuum sintering method. The composite was characterized with FT-IR, XRD, DSC, TG and mechanical property test. Results showed that the composite has good thermal stability and compressive property when the mass ratio of PEEK to nHA is 10:3; and high nHA content can improve the biological activity of the composite, which can meet the basic requirements for bone tissue engineering scaffold.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Hemagglutinin- (HA- Modified A20 B-Cell Lymphoma Expanded as a Brain Tumor on Adoptively Transferred HA-Specific CD4+ T Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin P. Shichkin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Previously, the mouse A20 B-cell lymphoma engineered to express hemagglutinin (HA antigen (A20HA was used as a systemic tumor model. In this work, we used the A20HA cells as a brain tumor. HA-specific CD4+ T cells were transferred intravenously in a tail vein 5 days after A20HA intracranial inoculation and analyzed on days 2, 9, and 16 after the adoptive transfer by different methods. The transferred cells demonstrated state of activation as early as day 2 after the adoptive transfer and most the of viable HA-specific cells became anergic on day 16. Additionally, symptoms of systemic immunosuppression were observed in mice with massive brain tumors at a late stage of the brain tumor progression (days 20–24 after the A20HA inoculation. Despite that, a deal of HA-specific CD4+ T cells kept the functional activity even at the late stage of A20HA tumor growth. The activated HA-specific CD4+ T cells were found also in the brain of brain-tumor-bearing mice. These cells were still responding to reactivation with HA-peptide in vitro. Our data support an idea about sufficient role of both the tumor-specific and -nonspecific mechanisms inducing immunosuppression in cancer patients.

Laser treatment of plasma sprayed HA coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khor, KA; Vreeling, A; Dong, ZL; Cheang, P

1999-01-01

Laser treatment was conducted on plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings using a Nd-YAG pulse laser. Various laser parameters were investigated. The results showed that the HA surface melted when an energy level of greater than or equal to 2 J and a spot size of 2 mm was employed during

Hyaluronan (HA) interacting proteins RHAMM and hyaluronidase impact prostate cancer cell behavior and invadopodia formation in 3D HA-based hydrogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurski, Lisa A; Xu, Xian; Labrada, Lyana N; Nguyen, Ngoc T; Xiao, Longxi; van Golen, Kenneth L; Jia, Xinqiao; Farach-Carson, Mary C

2012-01-01

To study the individual functions of hyaluronan interacting proteins in prostate cancer (PCa) motility through connective tissues, we developed a novel three-dimensional (3D) hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel assay that provides a flexible, quantifiable, and physiologically relevant alternative to current methods. Invasion in this system reflects the prevalence of HA in connective tissues and its role in the promotion of cancer cell motility and tissue invasion, making the system ideal to study invasion through bone marrow or other HA-rich connective tissues. The bio-compatible cross-linking process we used allows for direct encapsulation of cancer cells within the gel where they adopt a distinct, cluster-like morphology. Metastatic PCa cells in these hydrogels develop fingerlike structures, "invadopodia", consistent with their invasive properties. The number of invadopodia, as well as cluster size, shape, and convergence, can provide a quantifiable measure of invasive potential. Among candidate hyaluronan interacting proteins that could be responsible for the behavior we observed, we found that culture in the HA hydrogel triggers invasive PCa cells to differentially express and localize receptor for hyaluronan mediated motility (RHAMM)/CD168 which, in the absence of CD44, appears to contribute to PCa motility and invasion by interacting with the HA hydrogel components. PCa cell invasion through the HA hydrogel also was found to depend on the activity of hyaluronidases. Studies shown here reveal that while hyaluronidase activity is necessary for invadopodia and inter-connecting cluster formation, activity alone is not sufficient for acquisition of invasiveness to occur. We therefore suggest that development of invasive behavior in 3D HA-based systems requires development of additional cellular features, such as activation of motility associated pathways that regulate formation of invadopodia. Thus, we report development of a 3D system amenable to dissection of

Latvijas ozolu audžu augšņu raksturojums

OpenAIRE

Stalīdzāns, Didzis

2012-01-01

Maģistra darba mērķis ir noskaidrot augsnes faktora lomu parastā ozola (Quercus robur L.) izplatībai Latvijas teritorijā sastopamajās mežaudzēs. Maģistra darbā ir apkopota informācija par parastā ozola izplatības areālu Latvijas teritorijā un citviet pasaulē. Sniegts - parastā ozola ekoloģiskais raksturojums, raksturīgākie augšanas apstākļi, audžu atjaunošanās un ar to saistīto problēmu izklāsts. Pētījumā izlases veidā tika atlasīti 24 ozolu audžu parauglaukumi, kuros veikta audzes augsne...

Sterilisation effect study on granular hydroxyapatite (HA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saidu, M.F.; Mashita, M.; Khadijah, K.; Fazan, F.; Khalid, K.A.

2004-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a calcium phosphate bio ceramic that has been shown by many authors to be biocompatible with bioactive properties. It is widely accepted as the best synthetic material available for surgical use as a bone graft substitute. HA granules produced by Amerce-SIRIM from local materials underwent 5 types of sterilisation techniques with different ageing periods. Samples were tested for chemical and phase composition and microbial contamination before and after being sterilised. From the microbiological tests done, none of the unsterilised positive control yielded a positive culture. Results from X-Ray diffraction studies found that all the sterilisation techniques did not chemically degrade or structurally change the HA granules significantly. (Author)

5'-Terminal AUGs in Escherichia coli mRNAs with Shine-Dalgarno Sequences: Identification and Analysis of Their Roles in Non-Canonical Translation Initiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather J Beck

Full Text Available Analysis of the Escherichia coli transcriptome identified a unique subset of messenger RNAs (mRNAs that contain a conventional untranslated leader and Shine-Dalgarno (SD sequence upstream of the gene's start codon while also containing an AUG triplet at the mRNA's 5'- terminus (5'-uAUG. Fusion of the coding sequence specified by the 5'-terminal putative AUG start codon to a lacZ reporter gene, as well as primer extension inhibition assays, reveal that the majority of the 5'-terminal upstream open reading frames (5'-uORFs tested support some level of lacZ translation, indicating that these mRNAs can function both as leaderless and canonical SD-leadered mRNAs. Although some of the uORFs were expressed at low levels, others were expressed at levels close to that of the respective downstream genes and as high as the naturally leaderless cI mRNA of bacteriophage λ. These 5'-terminal uORFs potentially encode peptides of varying lengths, but their functions, if any, are unknown. In an effort to determine whether expression from the 5'-terminal uORFs impact expression of the immediately downstream cistron, we examined expression from the downstream coding sequence after mutations were introduced that inhibit efficient 5'-uORF translation. These mutations were found to affect expression from the downstream cistrons to varying degrees, suggesting that some 5'-uORFs may play roles in downstream regulation. Since the 5'-uAUGs found on these conventionally leadered mRNAs can function to bind ribosomes and initiate translation, this indicates that canonical mRNAs containing 5'-uAUGs should be examined for their potential to function also as leaderless mRNAs.

Sequential modelling of ICRF wave near RF fields and asymptotic RF sheaths description for AUG ICRF antennas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquot Jonathan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A sequence of simulations is performed with RAPLICASOL and SSWICH to compare two AUG ICRF antennas. RAPLICASOL outputs have been used as input to SSWICH-SW for the AUG ICRF antennas. Using parallel electric field maps and the scattering matrix produced by RAPLICASOL, SSWICH-SW, reduced to its asymptotic part, is able to produce a 2D radial/poloidal map of the DC plasma potential accounting for the antenna input settings (total power, power balance, phasing. Two models of antennas are compared: 2-strap antenna vs 3-strap antenna. The 2D DC potential structures are correlated to structures of the parallel electric field map for different phasing and power balance. The overall DC plasma potential on the 3-strap antenna is lower due to better global RF currents compensation. Spatial proximity between regions of high RF electric field and regions where high DC plasma potentials are observed is an important factor for sheath rectification.

Studies on the influence of Microcystis aeruginosa on the ecology ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-05-04

May 4, 2009 ... ha; Aug.13th – cow dung 4.0 t/ha, urea and DAP, each 20 kg/ha; and .... Steward and Pearson (1970) reported that in light, blue- green algae grow more ..... In: W.D.P. Stewart (Ed), ... Monitoring and Management. London.

Enantiomers of HA-966 (3-amino-1-hydroxypyrrolid-2-one) exhibit distinct central nervous system effects: (+)-HA-966 is a selective glycine/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, but (-)-HA-966 is a potent gamma-butyrolactone-like sedative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, L.; Donald, A.E.; Foster, A.C.; Hutson, P.H.; Iversen, L.L.; Iversen, S.D.; Kemp, J.A.; Leeson, P.D.; Marshall, G.R.; Oles, R.J.; Priestley, T.; Thorn, L.; Tricklebank, M.D.; Vass, C.A.; Williams, B.J.

1990-01-01

The antagonist effect of ±-3-amino-1-hydroxypyrrolid-2-one (HA-966) at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor occurs through a selective interaction with the glycine modulatory site within the receptor complex. When the enantiomers of ±-HA-966 were resolved, the (R)-(+)-enantiomer was found to be a selective glycine/NMDA receptor antagonist, a property that accounts for its anticonvulsant activity in vivo. In contrast, the (S)-(-)-enantiomer was only weakly active as an NMDA-receptor antagonist, but nevertheless it possessed a marked sedative and muscle relaxant action in vivo. In radioligand binding experiments, (+)-HA-966 inhibited strychnine-insensitive [ 3 H]glycine binding to rat cerebral cortex synaptic membranes with an IC 50 of 12.5 μM, whereas (-)-HA-966 had an IC 50 value of 339 μM. In mice, (+)-HA-966 antagonized sound and N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid (NMDLA)-induced seizures. The coadministration of D-serine dose-dependently antagonized the anticonvulsant effect of a submaximal dose of (+)-HA-966 against NMDLA-induced seizures. The sedative/ataxic effect of racemic HA-966 was mainly attributable to the (-)-enantiomer. It is suggested that, as in the case of the sedative γ-butyrolactone, disruption of striatal dopaminergic mechanisms may be responsible for this action

Preparation, optimization and property of PVA-HA/PAA composite hydrogel.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Liu, Jinlong; Yang, Xuehui; Zhang, Dekun

2017-09-01

PVA-HA/PAA composite hydrogel is prepared by freezing-thawing, PEG dehydration and annealing method. Orthogonal design method is used to choose the optimization combination. Results showed that HA and PVA have the maximum effect on water content. PVA and freezing-thawing cycles have the maximum effect on creep resistance and stress relaxation rate of hydrogel. Annealing temperature and freezing-thawing cycles have the maximum effect on compressive elastic modulus of hydrogel. Comparing with the water content and mechanical properties of 16 kinds of combination, PVA-HA/PAA composite hydrogel with freezing-thawing cycles of 3, annealing temperature of 120°C, PVA of 16%, HA of 2%, PAA of 4% has the optimization comprehensive properties. PVA-HA/PAA composite hydrogel has a porous network structure. There are some interactions between PVA, HA and PAA in hydrogel and the properties of hydrogel are strengthened. The annealing treatment improves the crystalline and crosslinking of hydrogel. Therefore, the annealing PVA-HA/PAA composite hydrogel has good thermostability, strength and mechanical properties. It also has good lubrication property and its friction coefficient is relative low. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Construction of porous hydroxyapatite (HA) block loaded with cultured chondrocytes].

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, M; Dang, G

1999-07-01

To construct a kind of bone healing enhancing implant with cultured chondrocytes bound to hydroxyapatite (HA). Chondrocytes were obtained from the costicartilage of rat and were cultured on the porous HA blocks, 3 mm x 3 mm x 4 mm size, for three and seven days. Scanning electron micrograph was taken to show whether the cells grew outside and inside the pore of HA block. The cells cultured on tiny glass sheet for 2 days were used to prove where the cells come from by in situ hybridization technique with alpha1 (II) cDNA probe. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the pores of the HA surface and inside of the blocks are filled with cultured cells, especially the longer cultured block. The cells were chondrocytes confirmed by in situ hybridization. The porous HA can be used as cell cultured substrate and chondrocyte can adhere and proliferate inside the porous HA block.

Võidupüha 8. mail? / Leonti Kährik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kährik, Leonti

2005-01-01

Eesti peaks väärikalt tähistama võidupüha kui euroopalike demokraatlike väärtuste võitu natsismi ja fašismi üle. Lähtudes 1940. a. juunini Eestis kehtinud vööndiajast, võiks võidupüha tähistada 8. mail

Prospects of HA-Based Universal Influenza Vaccine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anwar M. Hashem

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Current influenza vaccines afford substantial protection in humans by inducing strain-specific neutralizing antibodies (Abs. Most of these Abs target highly variable immunodominant epitopes in the globular domain of the viral hemagglutinin (HA. Therefore, current vaccines may not be able to induce heterosubtypic immunity against the divergent influenza subtypes. The identification of broadly neutralizing Abs (BnAbs against influenza HA using recent technological advancements in antibody libraries, hybridoma, and isolation of single Ab-secreting plasma cells has increased the interest in developing a universal influenza vaccine as it could provide life-long protection. While these BnAbs can serve as a source for passive immunotherapy, their identification represents an important step towards the design of such a universal vaccine. This review describes the recent advances and approaches used in the development of universal influenza vaccine based on highly conserved HA regions identified by BnAbs.

Translation of the shallot virus X TGB3 gene depends on non-AUG initiation and leaky scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lezzhov, Alexander A; Gushchin, Vladimir A; Lazareva, Ekaterina A; Vishnichenko, Valery K; Morozov, Sergey Y; Solovyev, Andrey G

2015-10-01

Triple gene block (TGB), a conserved gene module found in the genomes of many filamentous and rod-shaped plant viruses, encodes three proteins, TGB1, TGB2 and TGB3, required for viral cell-to-cell movement through plasmodesmata and systemic transport via the phloem. The genome of Shallot virus X, the type species of the genus Allexivirus, includes TGB1 and TGB2 genes, but contains no canonical ORF for TGB3 protein. However, a TGB3-like protein-encoding sequence lacking an AUG initiator codon has been found in the shallot virus X (ShVX) genome in a position typical for TGB3 genes. This putative TGB3 gene is conserved in all allexiviruses. Here, we carried out sequence analysis to predict possible non-AUG initiator codons in the ShVX TGB3-encoding sequence. We further used an agroinfiltration assay in Nicotiana benthamiana to confirm this prediction. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to demonstrate that the ShVX TGB3 could be translated on a bicistronic mRNA template via a leaky scanning mechanism.

Lorena Córdoba (editora. Dos suizos en la selva. Historias del auge cauchero en el Oriente Boliviano

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Pau

2016-03-01

Full Text Available El libro "Dos suizos en la selva. Historias del auge cauchero en el Oriente Boliviano" presenta, por primera vez traducidos al castellano, los testimonios memoriales de dos trabajadores caucheros originarios de Suiza que permanecieron en la región de la selva boliviana en los años de su juventud, a comienzos del siglo pasado.

Crystal structure of the HA3 subcomponent of Clostridium botulinum type C progenitor toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Toshio; Kotani, Mao; Tonozuka, Takashi; Ide, Azusa; Oguma, Keiji; Nishikawa, Atsushi

2009-01-30

The Clostridium botulinum type C 16S progenitor toxin contains a neurotoxin and several nontoxic components, designated nontoxic nonhemagglutinin (HA), HA1 (HA-33), HA2 (HA-17), HA3a (HA-22-23), and HA3b (HA-53). The HA3b subcomponent seems to play an important role cooperatively with HA1 in the internalization of the toxin by gastrointestinal epithelial cells via binding of these subcomponents to specific oligosaccharides. In this study, we investigated the sugar-binding specificity of the HA3b subcomponent using recombinant protein fused to glutathione S-transferase and determined the three-dimensional structure of the HA3a-HA3b complex based on X-ray crystallography. The crystal structure was determined at a resolution of 2.6 A. HA3b contains three domains, domains I to III, and the structure of domain I resembles HA3a. In crystal packing, three HA3a-HA3b molecules are assembled to form a three-leaved propeller-like structure. The three HA3b domain I and three HA3a alternate, forming a trimer of dimers. In a database search, no proteins with high structural homology to any of the domains (Z score >10) were found. Especially, HA3a and HA3b domain I, mainly composed of beta-sheets, reveal a unique fold. In binding assays, HA3b bound sialic acid with high affinity, but did not bind galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, or N-acetylglucosamine. The electron density of liganded N-acetylneuraminic acid was determined by crystal soaking. In the sugar-complex structure, the N-acetylneuraminic acid-binding site was located in the cleft formed between domains II and III of HA3b. This report provides the first determination of the three-dimensional structure of the HA3a-HA3b complex and its sialic acid binding site. Our results will provide useful information for elucidating the mechanism of assembly of the C16S toxin and for understanding the interactions with oligosaccharides on epithelial cells and internalization of the botulinum toxin complex.

Sr-containing hydroxyapatite: morphologies of HA crystals and bioactivity on osteoblast cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aina, Valentina [Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino (Italy); Centre of Excellence NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surface) Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy); INSTM (Italian National Consortium for Materials Science and Technology), UdR Università di Torino (Italy); Bergandi, Loredana, E-mail: loredana.bergandi@unito.it [Department of Oncology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Santena 5/bis, 10126 Torino (Italy); Lusvardi, Gigliola; Malavasi, Gianluca [Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, Università di Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 183, 41125 Modena (Italy); Imrie, Flora E.; Gibson, Iain R. [School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD (United Kingdom); Cerrato, Giuseppina [Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino (Italy); Centre of Excellence NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surface) Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy); INSTM (Italian National Consortium for Materials Science and Technology), UdR Università di Torino (Italy); Ghigo, Dario [Department of Oncology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Santena 5/bis, 10126 Torino (Italy)

2013-04-01

A series of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatites (HA), of general formula Ca{sub (10−x)}Sr{sub x}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}(OH){sub 2}, where x = 2 and 4, were synthesized by solid state methods and characterized extensively. The reactivity of these materials in cell culture medium was evaluated, and the behavior towards MG-63 osteoblast cells (in terms of cytotoxicity and proliferation assays) was studied. Future in vivo studies will give further insights into the behavior of the materials. A paper by Lagergren et al. (1975), concerning Sr-substituted HA prepared by a solid state method, reports that the presence of Sr in the apatite composition strongly influences the apatite diffraction patterns. Zeglinsky et al. (2012) investigated Sr-substituted HA by ab initio methods and Rietveld analyses and reported changes in the HA unit cell volume and shape due to the Sr addition. To further clarify the role played by the addition of Sr on the physico-chemical properties of these materials we prepared Sr-substituted HA compositions by a solid state method, using different reagents, thermal treatments and a multi-technique approach. Our results indicated that the introduction of Sr at the levels considered here does influence the structure of HA. There is also evidence of a decrease in the crystallinity degree of the materials upon Sr addition. The introduction of increasing amounts of Sr into the HA composition causes a decrease in the specific surface area and an enrichment of Sr-apatite phase at the surface of the samples. Bioactivity tests show that the presence of Sr causes changes in particle size and/or morphology during soaking in MEM solution; on the contrary the morphology of pure HA does not change after 14 days of reaction. The presence of Sr, as Sr-substituted HA and SrCl{sub 2,} in cultures of human MG-63 osteoblasts did not produce any cytotoxic effect. In fact, Sr-substituted HA increased the proliferation of osteoblast cells and enhanced cell differentiation: Sr in

Sr-containing hydroxyapatite: morphologies of HA crystals and bioactivity on osteoblast cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aina, Valentina; Bergandi, Loredana; Lusvardi, Gigliola; Malavasi, Gianluca; Imrie, Flora E.; Gibson, Iain R.; Cerrato, Giuseppina; Ghigo, Dario

2013-01-01

A series of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatites (HA), of general formula Ca (10−x) Sr x (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 , where x = 2 and 4, were synthesized by solid state methods and characterized extensively. The reactivity of these materials in cell culture medium was evaluated, and the behavior towards MG-63 osteoblast cells (in terms of cytotoxicity and proliferation assays) was studied. Future in vivo studies will give further insights into the behavior of the materials. A paper by Lagergren et al. (1975), concerning Sr-substituted HA prepared by a solid state method, reports that the presence of Sr in the apatite composition strongly influences the apatite diffraction patterns. Zeglinsky et al. (2012) investigated Sr-substituted HA by ab initio methods and Rietveld analyses and reported changes in the HA unit cell volume and shape due to the Sr addition. To further clarify the role played by the addition of Sr on the physico-chemical properties of these materials we prepared Sr-substituted HA compositions by a solid state method, using different reagents, thermal treatments and a multi-technique approach. Our results indicated that the introduction of Sr at the levels considered here does influence the structure of HA. There is also evidence of a decrease in the crystallinity degree of the materials upon Sr addition. The introduction of increasing amounts of Sr into the HA composition causes a decrease in the specific surface area and an enrichment of Sr-apatite phase at the surface of the samples. Bioactivity tests show that the presence of Sr causes changes in particle size and/or morphology during soaking in MEM solution; on the contrary the morphology of pure HA does not change after 14 days of reaction. The presence of Sr, as Sr-substituted HA and SrCl 2, in cultures of human MG-63 osteoblasts did not produce any cytotoxic effect. In fact, Sr-substituted HA increased the proliferation of osteoblast cells and enhanced cell differentiation: Sr in HA has a positive effect

HVOF-Sprayed Nano TiO2-HA Coatings Exhibiting Enhanced Biocompatibility

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, R. S.; Dimitrievska, S.; Bureau, M. N.; Marple, B. R.; Petit, A.; Mwale, F.; Antoniou, J.

2010-01-01

Biomedical thermal spray coatings produced via high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) from nanostructured titania (n-TiO2) and 10 wt.% hydroxyapatite (HA) (n-TiO2-10wt.%HA) powders have been engineered as possible future alternatives to HA coatings deposited via air plasma spray (APS). This approach was chosen due to (i) the stability of TiO2 in the human body (i.e., no dissolution) and (ii) bond strength values on Ti-6Al-4V substrates more than two times higher than those of APS HA coatings. To explore the bioperformance of these novel materials and coatings, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were cultured from 1 to 21 days on the surface of HVOF-sprayed n-TiO2 and n-TiO2-10 wt.%HA coatings. APS HA coatings and uncoated Ti-6Al-4V substrates were employed as controls. The profiles of the hMSCs were evaluated for (i) cellular proliferation, (ii) biochemical analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, (iii) cytoskeleton organization (fluorescent/confocal microscopy), and (iv) cell/substrate interaction via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The biochemical analysis indicated that the hMSCs cultured on n-TiO2-10 wt.%HA coatings exhibited superior levels of bioactivity than hMSCs cultured on APS HA and pure n-TiO2 coatings. The cytoskeleton organization demonstrated a higher degree of cellular proliferation on the HVOF-sprayed n-TiO2-10wt.%HA coatings when compared to the control coatings. These results are considered promising for engineering improved performance in the next generation of thermally sprayed biomedical coatings.

Antigenic properties of a transport-competent influenza HA/HIV Env chimeric protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Ling; Sun Yuliang; Lin Jianguo; Bu Zhigao; Wu Qingyang; Jiang, Shibo; Steinhauer, David A.; Compans, Richard W.; Yang Chinglai

2006-01-01

The transmembrane subunit (gp41) of the HIV Env glycoprotein contains conserved neutralizing epitopes which are not well-exposed in wild-type HIV Env proteins. To enhance the exposure of these epitopes, a chimeric protein, HA/gp41, in which the gp41 of HIV-1 89.6 envelope protein was fused to the C-terminus of the HA1 subunit of the influenza HA protein, was constructed. Characterization of protein expression showed that the HA/gp41 chimeric proteins were expressed on cell surfaces and formed trimeric oligomers, as found in the HIV Env as well as influenza HA proteins. In addition, the HA/gp41 chimeric protein expressed on the cell surface can also be cleaved into 2 subunits by trypsin treatment, similar to the influenza HA. Moreover, the HA/gp41 chimeric protein was found to maintain a pre-fusion conformation. Interestingly, the HA/gp41 chimeric proteins on cell surfaces exhibited increased reactivity to monoclonal antibodies against the HIV Env gp41 subunit compared with the HIV-1 envelope protein, including the two broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies 2F5 and 4E10. Immunization of mice with a DNA vaccine expressing the HA/gp41 chimeric protein induced antibodies against the HIV gp41 protein and these antibodies exhibit neutralizing activity against infection by an HIV SF162 pseudovirus. These results demonstrate that the construction of such chimeric proteins can provide enhanced exposure of conserved epitopes in the HIV Env gp41 and may represent a novel vaccine design strategy for inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV

Characterization of Three Novel Fatty Acid- and Retinoid-Binding Protein Genes (Ha-far-1, Ha-far-2 and Hf-far-1 from the Cereal Cyst Nematodes Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fen Qiao

Full Text Available Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi are major parasites of wheat, reducing production worldwide. Both are sedentary endoparasitic nematodes, and their development and parasitism depend strongly on nutrients obtained from hosts. Secreted fatty acid- and retinol-binding (FAR proteins are nematode-specific lipid carrier proteins used for nutrient acquisition as well as suppression of plant defenses. In this study, we obtained three novel FAR genes Ha-far-1 (KU877266, Ha-far-2 (KU877267, Hf-far-1 (KU877268. Ha-far-1 and Ha-far-2 were cloned from H. avenae, encoding proteins of 191 and 280 amino acids with molecular masses about 17 and 30 kDa, respectively and sequence identity of 28%. Protein Blast in NCBI revealed that Ha-FAR-1 sequence is 78% similar to the Gp-FAR-1 protein from Globodera pallida, while Ha-FAR-2 is 30% similar to Rs-FAR-1 from Radopholus similis. Only one FAR protein Hf-FAR-1was identified in H. filipjevi; it had 96% sequence identity to Ha-FAR-1. The three proteins are alpha-helix-rich and contain the conserved domain of Gp-FAR-1, but Ha-FAR-2 had a remarkable peptide at the C-terminus which was random-coil-rich. Both Ha-FAR-1 and Hf-FAR-1 had casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, while Ha-FAR-2 had predicted N-glycosylation sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the three proteins clustered together, though Ha-FAR-1 and Hf-FAR-1 adjoined each other in a plant-parasitic nematode branch, but Ha-FAR-2 was distinct from the other proteins in the group. Fluorescence-based ligand binding analysis showed the three FAR proteins bound to a fluorescent fatty acid derivative and retinol and with dissociation constants similar to FARs from other species, though Ha-FAR-2 binding ability was weaker than that of the two others. In situ hybridization detected mRNAs of Ha-far-1 and Ha-far-2 in the hypodermis. The qRT-PCR results showed that the Ha-far-1and Ha-far-2 were expressed in all developmental stages; Ha-far-1 expressed 70 times more

Characterization of Three Novel Fatty Acid- and Retinoid-Binding Protein Genes (Ha-far-1, Ha-far-2 and Hf-far-1) from the Cereal Cyst Nematodes Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Fen; Luo, Lilian; Peng, Huan; Luo, Shujie; Huang, Wenkun; Cui, Jiangkuan; Li, Xin; Kong, Lingan; Jiang, Daohong; Chitwood, David J; Peng, Deliang

2016-01-01

Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi are major parasites of wheat, reducing production worldwide. Both are sedentary endoparasitic nematodes, and their development and parasitism depend strongly on nutrients obtained from hosts. Secreted fatty acid- and retinol-binding (FAR) proteins are nematode-specific lipid carrier proteins used for nutrient acquisition as well as suppression of plant defenses. In this study, we obtained three novel FAR genes Ha-far-1 (KU877266), Ha-far-2 (KU877267), Hf-far-1 (KU877268). Ha-far-1 and Ha-far-2 were cloned from H. avenae, encoding proteins of 191 and 280 amino acids with molecular masses about 17 and 30 kDa, respectively and sequence identity of 28%. Protein Blast in NCBI revealed that Ha-FAR-1 sequence is 78% similar to the Gp-FAR-1 protein from Globodera pallida, while Ha-FAR-2 is 30% similar to Rs-FAR-1 from Radopholus similis. Only one FAR protein Hf-FAR-1was identified in H. filipjevi; it had 96% sequence identity to Ha-FAR-1. The three proteins are alpha-helix-rich and contain the conserved domain of Gp-FAR-1, but Ha-FAR-2 had a remarkable peptide at the C-terminus which was random-coil-rich. Both Ha-FAR-1 and Hf-FAR-1 had casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, while Ha-FAR-2 had predicted N-glycosylation sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the three proteins clustered together, though Ha-FAR-1 and Hf-FAR-1 adjoined each other in a plant-parasitic nematode branch, but Ha-FAR-2 was distinct from the other proteins in the group. Fluorescence-based ligand binding analysis showed the three FAR proteins bound to a fluorescent fatty acid derivative and retinol and with dissociation constants similar to FARs from other species, though Ha-FAR-2 binding ability was weaker than that of the two others. In situ hybridization detected mRNAs of Ha-far-1 and Ha-far-2 in the hypodermis. The qRT-PCR results showed that the Ha-far-1and Ha-far-2 were expressed in all developmental stages; Ha-far-1 expressed 70 times more than Ha-far-2 in

Municipio de Leiva (Nariño: zona roja, historias de destierro y escenario de reconfiguración narcoparamilitar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico Guillermo Muñoz

2011-07-01

Full Text Available El testimonio de una mujer nacida en Leiva, víctima del destierro, es la evidencia empírica de cómo el contexto de conflicto armado se ha deteriorado en los últimos años en el nororiente de Nariño. A la histórica influencia de las guerrillas durante los ochentas y noventas, el dominio del paramilitarismo entre 2000 y 2006, le ha seguido desde entonces una reconfiguración narcoparamilitar que sigue vigente. Leiva es un territorio de difícil acceso, que se caracteriza por una escarpada topografía y su relativa cercanía a diversas vías fluviales, que geoestratégicamente lo convierten en un municipio codiciado por algunos grupos armados ilegales, en una zona que la política de seguridad democrática ha incluido en el plan consolidación. Mientras tanto se ha presentado un alarmante aumento de los cultivos de coca en Nariño, departamento con mayor superficie de hectáreas sembradas en Colombia durante el periodo 2006–2009. Esta situación ha propiciado una preocupante crisis humanitaria, reflejada por ejemplo en la inmensa cantidad de víctimas de desplazamiento forzado. La historia de una de estas víctimas impulsó la creación del presente artículo, que pretende reconstruir su trayectoria de vida, y a través de sus testimonios, resultado de varias entrevistas, conocer de primera mano los impactos del conflicto armado en Leiva.

Fabrication and evaluation of porous Ti–HA bio-nanomaterial by leaching process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M. Omran

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A porous surface of Ti–HA composite was successfully fabricated by pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS, followed by leaching using diluted H3PO4. The Ti and HA powders were mixed at different contents of the HA, Ti-5, 10, 30 and 40 wt% HA powders. The mixed powders were pressed in a coated graphite die using pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS under pressure of 60 MPa at temperature of 1000 °C for 5 min. The sintered Ti–HA specimens were immersed in the eight kinds of leaching solutions at room temperature for 24 h. The leached specimen’s surfaces were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX and Rockwell hardness. The XRD patterns after sintering show that many phases were detected at the sintered specimen surfaces such as; Ti2O, CaO, CaTiO3, TixPy in addition to the remaining Ti and HA. Furthermore, the high concentration H3PO4 leaching solution is more efficient than the low concentration. Also the produced porous surfaces of Ti–HA materials containing more than 30% HA have a low relative density and hardness than the commercial Ti–6Al–4V ELI alloy. In a word, the presence of porous surface coated by HA will promote the nucleation of the biological apatite created with the human tissue and increase the bonding between them. So, the produced porous materials are considered so easy for the muscle cells to permeate after transplanted with high coherence.

CILogon-HA. Higher Assurance Federated Identities for DOE Science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basney, James [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

2015-08-01

The CILogon-HA project extended the existing open source CILogon service (initially developed with funding from the National Science Foundation) to provide credentials at multiple levels of assurance to users of DOE facilities for collaborative science. CILogon translates mechanism and policy across higher education and grid trust federations, bridging from the InCommon identity federation (which federates university and DOE lab identities) to the Interoperable Global Trust Federation (which defines standards across the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, the Open Science Grid, and other cyberinfrastructure). The CILogon-HA project expanded the CILogon service to support over 160 identity providers (including 6 DOE facilities) and 3 internationally accredited certification authorities. To provide continuity of operations upon the end of the CILogon-HA project period, project staff transitioned the CILogon service to operation by XSEDE.

Wear characterization of nano-hydroxyapatite with addition of titanium (HA-Ti)

Science.gov (United States)

Rosmamuhamadani, R.; Arawi, A. Z. O.; Talari, M. K.; Mahat, M. M.; Bonnia, N. N.; Sabrina; Yahaya, M.; Sulaiman, S.; Ismail, M. I. S.

2018-04-01

Hydroxyapatite (Ca10 (PO4)6(OH)2, HA), is an attractive material of an inorganic compound whose chemical composition and crystallographic structures are similar to the composition of the bone. A natural source such as egg shells is composed of 94 wt. % of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which can be calcined as calcium oxide (CaO) by the calcinations process. The efficient temperature to produce CaO is 900 °C for 2 hours. The synthesis of nano-HA was done by the mixing the diammonium phosphate (DAP) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and subjected into a microwave for 30 minutes at 1100 W irradiation power. Ball milling process was used for 30 minutes to mix the nano-HA with different compositions of titanium. These were pressed to form pallets by hand hydraulic pump (force=2300 psi). The pallets then were sintered at 1200 °C with the heating rate of 3 °C/min for 2 hours. The pallets were tested by several mechanical testing including hardness, compression strength and wear. From the results, HA-25wt. %Ti composite gave the highest hardness, compression and coefficient of friction for wear test values which were 89.6 Hv, 82.5MPa and 0.76μ respectively. It showed that by adding Ti to nano-HA, the mechanical properties of nano-HA could be enhanced. The microstructure analyses by optical micrograph showed that nano-HA-Ti particles displayed shape likes needle morphology. The particles showed the high tendency to form the agglomerations.

Degradation behavior and compatibility of micro, nanoHA/chitosan scaffolds with interconnected spherical macropores.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruixin, Li; Cheng, Xu; Yingjie, Liu; Hao, Li; Caihong, Shi; Weihua, Su; Weining, An; Yinghai, Yuan; Xiaoli, Qin; Yunqiang, Xu; Xizheng, Zhang; Hui, Li

2017-10-01

Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan (HA/CS) composite have significant application in biomedical especially for bone replacement. Inorganic particle shape and size of composite affect the scaffold mechanical property, biological property, and degradation. The aim of this study was to fabricate HA/CS scaffold with good pore connectivity and analyze their biological, degradation properties. Microhydroxyapatite/chitosan (mHA/CS) and nanohydroxyapatite/chitosan (nHA/CS) composite scaffolds with interconnected spherical pore architectures were fabricated. Composite scaffolds structure parameters were analyzed using micro CT. Cell proliferation and morphology were tested and compared between two scaffolds using mouse osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1. To research the composite degradation in lysozyme PBS solution, degradation rate and reducing sugar content were tested, and scaffolds morphology were observed by SEM. The results showed that microHA and nanoHA were fabricated by being calcined and synthesis methods, and their infrared spectra are very similar. EDAX composition analysis demonstrated that both of microHA and nanoHA were calcium deficiency HA. Micro-CT results demonstrated the scaffolds had interconnected spherical pores, and the structure parameters were similar. Cell viabilities were significant increased with cultured time, but there were no significant difference between microHA/CS and nanoHA/CS scaffolds. Scaffold structure was gradually destroyed and inorganic composition HA particles are more prominent with degradation time. (1) Inorganic particle shape and size of composite affect the scaffold mechanical property, biological property, and degradation. NanoHA/CS and microHA/CS scaffolds with good pore connectivity were fabricated and their biological, degradation properties were studied in this manuscript. (2) The scaffold with interconnected porosity construct provides the necessary support for cells to proliferate and maintain their differentiated function, and

Microstructure, mechanical properties, and biological response to functionally graded HA coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabiei, Afsaneh; Blalock, Travis; Thomas, Brent; Cuomo, Jerry; Yang, Y.; Ong, Joo

2007-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) [Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 ] is the primary mineral content, representing 43% by weight, of bone. Applying a thin layer of HA, to the surface of a metal implant, can promote osseointegration and increase the mechanical stability of the implant. In this study, a biocompatible coating comprising an HA film with functionally graded crystallinity is being deposited on a heated substrate in an Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD) system. The microstructure of the film was studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Finally, initial cell adhesion and cell differentiation on the coating was evaluated using ATCC CRL 1486 human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cell, an osteoblast precursor cell line. The results have shown superior mechanical properties and biological response to the functionally graded HA film

Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injection versus Hyaluronic acid (HA) injection alone in Patients with Grade III and IV Knee Osteoarthritis (OA): A Retrospective Study on Functional Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Saturveithan, C; Premganesh, G; Fakhrizzaki, S; Mahathir, M; Karuna, K; Rauf, K; William, H; Akmal, H; Sivapathasundaram, N; Jaspreet, K

2016-07-01

Introduction: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) is widely utilized in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis whereas platelet rich plasma (PRP) enhances the regeneration of articular cartilage. This study analyses the efficacy of HA and PRP in grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study with retrospective review of 64 patients (101 knees) which includes 56 knees injected with HA+ PRP, and 45 knees with HA only. Results: During the post six months International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) evaluation, HA+PRP group showed marked improvement of 24.33 compared to 12.15 in HA group. Decrement in visual analogue score (VAS) in HA+PRP was 1.9 compared to 0.8 in HA group. Conclusion: We propose intra-articular HA and PRP injections as an optional treatment modality in Grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis in terms of functional outcome and pain control for up to six months when arthroplasty is not an option.

Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid (HA and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP injection versus Hyaluronic acid (HA injection alone in Patients with Grade III and IV Knee Osteoarthritis (OA: A Retrospective Study on Functional Outcome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saturveithan C

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA is widely utilized in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis whereas platelet rich plasma (PRP enhances the regeneration of articular cartilage. This study analyses the efficacy of HA and PRP in grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study with retrospective review of 64 patients (101 knees which includes 56 knees injected with HA+ PRP, and 45 knees with HA only. Results: During the post six months International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC evaluation, HA+PRP group showed marked improvement of 24.33 compared to 12.15 in HA group. Decrement in visual analogue score (VAS in HA+PRP was 1.9 compared to 0.8 in HA group. Conclusion: We propose intra-articular HA and PRP injections as an optional treatment modality in Grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis in terms of functional outcome and pain control for up to six months when arthroplasty is not an option.

A-Ha. Drum'n'bassi supernimi FABIO

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2002-01-01

7.sept. annab norra menukaim popansambel A-Ha Tallinnas Lauluväljakul kontserdi, kus presenteerib ka oma viimast albumit "Lifelines". 14. sept.tuleb drum'n'bassi spetsialist Fabio Tallinna üritusele Circulation

Mechanical strength of [HA/Bioplastic/Sericin] composite part printed by bioprinter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tontowi, Alva Edy, E-mail: alvaedytontowi@ugm.ac.id; Setiawan, Agris [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Faculty of Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia)

2016-06-17

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) content in printed biocomposite to its mechanical strength. The biocomposite paste was prepared by composing HA, bioplastic and sericin with various ratios of [HA/Bioplastic]: 40/60, 50/50, 60,40 and 70/30. Sericin of 0.3% weight was added to the biocomposite. Mechanical test was conducted to observe tensile (ASTM D 638 type 4) and flexural strength (ASTM D 790). Both type of specimens were fabricated using 3D Printer. Printing process parameter (infill speed, print speed and layer height) were set up as 60 mm/s, 10 mm/s, 0.35 mm, respectively. Results showed that biocomposite with [HA/Biplastic]. weight ratio of 60/40(w/w) has an optimum tensile (3.89 ± 1.26 MPa) and flexural strength (2.51 ± 0.45 MPa). Scanning electron microscope observation indicated that microstructure of specimen was influenced by the percentage of the hydroxyapatite. There was no agglomeration of HA particle within the composite.

Mechanical strength of [HA/Bioplastic/Sericin] composite part printed by bioprinter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tontowi, Alva Edy; Setiawan, Agris

2016-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) content in printed biocomposite to its mechanical strength. The biocomposite paste was prepared by composing HA, bioplastic and sericin with various ratios of [HA/Bioplastic]: 40/60, 50/50, 60,40 and 70/30. Sericin of 0.3% weight was added to the biocomposite. Mechanical test was conducted to observe tensile (ASTM D 638 type 4) and flexural strength (ASTM D 790). Both type of specimens were fabricated using 3D Printer. Printing process parameter (infill speed, print speed and layer height) were set up as 60 mm/s, 10 mm/s, 0.35 mm, respectively. Results showed that biocomposite with [HA/Biplastic]. weight ratio of 60/40(w/w) has an optimum tensile (3.89 ± 1.26 MPa) and flexural strength (2.51 ± 0.45 MPa). Scanning electron microscope observation indicated that microstructure of specimen was influenced by the percentage of the hydroxyapatite. There was no agglomeration of HA particle within the composite.

Origen, evolución y auge del periodismo literario latinoamericano: desde las crónicas de indias y el modernismo hasta las revistas especializadas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeovanny Moisés Benavides

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo se propone señalar la forma en que surge el periodismo literario en América Latina. Hay escasos estudios en la región y ante el desafío de tener una orfandad teórica planteamos en este artículo un acercamiento a la génesis de esta tendencia, a su evolución y brindamos, además, una perspectiva sobre su desarrollo y manifestación en las revistas especializadas. Analizamos los principales antecedentes del periodismo literario y, para ello, nos remontamos a las crónicas de indias, avanzamos hacia el modernismo y refutamos la forma en que algunos estudiosos han situado el origen de esta tendencia en la corriente estadounidense denominada “Nuevo Periodismo”. Ya en el modernismo, a fines del siglo xix, las crónicas de José Martí, Rubén Darío o de Gutiérrez Nájera eran el preludio de un movimiento al que varios investigadores han llamado el nuevo boom de las letras hispánicas. En este trabajo indagamos, además, en el auge que el periodismo literario ha tenido en América Latina desde fines de la década de 1990 a partir del surgimiento de revistas especializadas como Gatopardo (México, SoHo (Colombia, Etiqueta Negra (Perú, Piauí (Brasil y Anfibia (Argentina.

New Coll–HA/BT composite materials for hard tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zanfir, Andrei Vlad [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, “Politehnica” University of Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, RO-011061 Bucharest (Romania); Voicu, Georgeta, E-mail: getav2001@yahoo.co.uk [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, “Politehnica” University of Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, RO-011061 Bucharest (Romania); Busuioc, Cristina; Jinga, Sorin Ion [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, “Politehnica” University of Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, RO-011061 Bucharest (Romania); Albu, Madalina Georgiana [Department of Collagen, Branch of Leather and Footwear Research, National Institute of Research and Development for Textile and Leather, 93 I. Minulescu Street, RO-031215 Bucharest (Romania); Iordache, Florin [Department of Fetal and Adult Stem Cell Therapy, “Nicolae Simionescu” Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology of Romanian Academy, 8 B.P. Hasdeu Street, RO-050568 Bucharest (Romania)

2016-05-01

The integration of ceramic powders in composite materials for bone scaffolds can improve the osseointegration process. This work was aimed to the synthesis and characterization of new collagen–hydroxyapatite/barium titanate (Coll–HA/BT) composite materials starting from barium titanate (BT) nanopowder, hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder and collagen (Coll) gel. BT nanopowder was produced by combining two wet-chemical approaches, sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. The resulting materials were characterized in terms of phase composition and microstructure by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the biocompatibility and bioactivity of the composite materials were assessed by in vitro tests. The synthesized BT particles exhibit an average size of around 35 nm and a spherical morphology, with a pseudo-cubic or tetragonal symmetry. The diffraction spectra of Coll–HA and Coll–HA/BT composite materials indicate a pronounced interaction between Col and the mineral phases, meaning a good mineralization of Col fibres. As well, the in vitro tests highlight excellent osteoinductive properties for all biological samples, especially for Coll–HA/BT composite materials, fact that can be attributed to the ferromagnetic properties of BT. - Highlights: • Collagen–hydroxyapatite/barium titanate composite materials were synthesized. • Barium titanate was produced by combining the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. • The in vitro tests highlight excellent osteoinductive properties for all samples.

New Coll–HA/BT composite materials for hard tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zanfir, Andrei Vlad; Voicu, Georgeta; Busuioc, Cristina; Jinga, Sorin Ion; Albu, Madalina Georgiana; Iordache, Florin

2016-01-01

The integration of ceramic powders in composite materials for bone scaffolds can improve the osseointegration process. This work was aimed to the synthesis and characterization of new collagen–hydroxyapatite/barium titanate (Coll–HA/BT) composite materials starting from barium titanate (BT) nanopowder, hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder and collagen (Coll) gel. BT nanopowder was produced by combining two wet-chemical approaches, sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. The resulting materials were characterized in terms of phase composition and microstructure by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the biocompatibility and bioactivity of the composite materials were assessed by in vitro tests. The synthesized BT particles exhibit an average size of around 35 nm and a spherical morphology, with a pseudo-cubic or tetragonal symmetry. The diffraction spectra of Coll–HA and Coll–HA/BT composite materials indicate a pronounced interaction between Col and the mineral phases, meaning a good mineralization of Col fibres. As well, the in vitro tests highlight excellent osteoinductive properties for all biological samples, especially for Coll–HA/BT composite materials, fact that can be attributed to the ferromagnetic properties of BT. - Highlights: • Collagen–hydroxyapatite/barium titanate composite materials were synthesized. • Barium titanate was produced by combining the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. • The in vitro tests highlight excellent osteoinductive properties for all samples.

Development of Au-Ge based candidate alloys as an alternative to high-lead content solders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chidambaram, Vivek; Hald, John; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2010-01-01

Au-Ge based candidate alloys have been proposed as an alternative to high-lead content solders that are currently being used for high-temperature applications. The changes in microstructure and microhardness associated with the addition of low melting point metals namely In, Sb and Sn to the Au......-Ge-In and Au-Ge-Sn combinations was determined to be the classic solid solution strengthening. The Au-Ge-Sb combination was primarily strengthened by the refined (Ge) dispersed phase. The aging temperature had a significant influence on the microhardness in the case of the Au-Ge-Sn candidate alloy...

Human hypervariable sequences in risk assessment: rare Ha-ras alleles in cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krontiris, T.G.; DiMartino, N.A.; Mitcheson, H.D.; Lonergan, J.A.; Begg, C.; Parkinson, D.R.

1987-01-01

A variable tandem repeat (VTR) is responsible for the hyperallelism one kilobase 3' to the human c-Ha-ras-1 (Ha-ras) gene. Thirty-two distinct restriction fragments, comprising 3 allelic classes by frequency of occurrence, have thus far been detected in a sample size of approximately 800 caucasians. Rare Ha-ras alleles, 21 in all, are almost exclusively confined to the genomes of cancer patients. From their data the authors have computed the relative cancer risk associated with possession of a rare Ha-ras allele to be 27. To understand the molecular basis for this phenomenon, they have begun to clone Ha-ras fragments from nontumor DNA of cancer patients. They report here the weak activation, as detected by transfection and transformation of NIH 3T3 mouse cells, of two Ha-ras genes which were obtained from lymphocyte DNA of a melanoma patient. They have mapped the regions that confer this transforming activity to the fragment containing the VTR in one Ha-ras clone and the fragment containing gene coding sequences in the other

Poredbena analiza Haških i Roterdamskih pravila

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesna Skorupan Wolff

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Primjenom komparativne metode uspoređuju se najvažnije konvencijske odredbe i rješenja Roterdamskih pravila s onima sadržanim u Haškim pravilima. Raščlanjuje se većina recentnih odredbi Roterdamskih pravila koje predstavljaju ključne elemente po kojime se ona razlikuju od Haških pravila. U okviru toga ukazuje se na važnost novih pojmova, instituta i osoba koje sudjeluju u prijevoznom poslu. Govori se i o važnim odredbama koje su podudarne jer upravo brojna tradicionalna rješenja koja donose Roterdamska pravila mogu pridonijeti njihovom bržem i lakšem akceptiranju. Roterdamska pravila nastoje na suvremeni način urediti ugovore o prijevozu stvari morem, a pod određenim uvjetima primjenjivat će se i na prijevoze drugim prijevoznim granama. Opsežnost konvencije govori o njezinoj sveobuhvatnosti i velikoj preciznosti u propisivanju gotovo svih pitanja iz područja pravnog uređenja pomorskih prijevoznih ugovora, i više od toga, ona je jedinstven primjer temeljite raščlambe svih obveza i odgovornosti ugovornih stranaka i općenito svih subjekata koji se pojavljuju u prijevoznom poslu. Cilj poredbene analize Haških i Roterdamskih pravila je spoznati što novo donose Roterdamska pravila i procijeniti kako se ona uklapaju u postojeće pravno uređenje prijevoza stvari morem. Istodobno cilj je spoznati koje se odredbe Haških pravila danas izlažu kritici zbog njihove neprilagođenosti suvremenim uvjetima prijevoza i novim i drugačijim odnosima snaga između ugovornih strana u pomorskim prijevoznim ugovorima.

Fruit production and quality of guava 'Paluma' as a function of humic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-08-17

Aug 17, 2016 ... performed from January 2012 to June 2013 (first trial) and from July to November .... fertilized with 1.166 kg ha-1 of urea (45% of N) and 1.166 kg ha-1 of ... 788. 732. Silt. 106. 130. Sand. 106. 138. Soil density (kg dm-3). 1.62.

New therapeutic agent for radiation synovectomy - preparation of 166Ho-EDTMP-HA particle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, H.; Jin, X.; Du, J.; Wang, F.; Chen, D.; Fan, H.; Cheng, Z.; Zhang, J.

1997-01-01

In order to prepare new therapeutical agent for radiation synovectomy, Hydroxyapatite (HA) was labelled with 166 Ho by EDTMP that had high affinity to HA particles. Radiolabelling of HA particles was divided into two steps, 166 Ho-EDTMP was prepared first; then mixed with HA particles completely and vibrated for 15 minutes on the micromixer at room temperature, washed 3 times with deionized water. Radiolabelling particle was separated from free 166 Ho via centrifugation to determine its radiolabelling efficiency. 166 Ho-EDTMP-HA and 166 Ho-EDTMP were injected into knee joint of normal rabbits respectively, every group was killed at different time postinjection, took out major organ and collected urine and blood, then weighted and determined their radio counts. HA particles, as a natural component of bone was known to have good compatibility with soft tissue and biodegrade into calcium and phosphate in vivo. It was readily prepared from common chemical and formed into particles of desired size range in a controlled process, it had high stability in vitro and vivo. Radiolabelling of HA particle with 166 Ho by EDTMP was simple to perform and provides an excellent labelling yield that was more than 95% under the optimal labelling condition. The optimal labelling condition at room temperature was pH 6.0-8.0 and vibration time 15 minutes. The absorbed capacity of HA particle was 5 mg Ho/g HA particle and size of radiolabelling particle was at range of 2-5,μm that is suitable for therapy of radiation synovectomy. 166 Ho-EDTMP-HA particle demonstrated high in vitro stability in either normal saline or 1% BSA solution, but instability under extremely acidic condition (pH 1-2). The control studies performed with 166 Ho-EDTMP not bound to HA particle provided information on the distribution of radioactivity that would occur upon leakage of the radiochemical compound from joint. Its short half-life, its extremely low leakage from the joint and its even distribution throughout

Hi ha un paper per a l'ètica a l'empresa?

OpenAIRE

Argandoña Rámiz, Antonio

2001-01-01

No hi ha decisions ètiques i decisions no ètiques. Hi ha decisions: l'ètica és, simplement, un component més de cada decisió —i, per tant, molt important. No hi ha directors d'empresa ètics i altres que no ho són: hi ha directors que dirigeixen bé, i directors que dirigeixen malament. Els que dirigeixen bé són ètics. Si no són ètics, estan perdent algun aspecte de la realitat que és necessari per a la seva tasca de dirigir: per tant, dirigeixen malament. Però, a més a més, ser ètic no és tan ...

Development and characterization of poli composites (ether ether ketone)(PEEK)(Hydroxyapatite(HA); Desenvolvimento e caracterizacao de compositos poli (eter-eter-cetona)(PEEK)/Hidroxiapatita(HA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, V.P.; Santos, F.S.F.; Sa, M.D. de; Fook, M.V.L., E-mail: valeriap.ferreira@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias e Tecnologia. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencia e Engenharia de Materiais

2016-07-01

The objective of this work was to develop PEEK / HA composites, combining the biological activity of the ceramic phase with the properties of the polymer phase, the materials used in this research were Poly (ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) and Hydroxyapatite (HA) (50, 60, 70 and 80% m / v HA), this material was subjected to a load of two tons followed by a thermal treatment at 390 ° for a period of 30 minutes. Then they were characterized by FTIR, DRX and MO. In the physical-chemical characterization of FTIR and XRD, it was not possible to identify significant alterations. In the FTIR spectra of the composites, there is no formation of new identifiable chemical bonds. In the composites XRD diffractograms a profile similar to the ceramic phase was observed, with peaks increasing in intensity and narrowing proportional to the increase of the hydroxyapatite concentration in the composites. In optical microscopy it is possible to observe surfaces with heterogeneous morphology, with signs of roughness and in the cross section we observe a heterogeneous aspect, rich in regions with large agglomerates and lighter particles. Considering the processing aspects, the technique proved to be effective for the development of PEEK /HA composites. (author)

Preparation and characterization of NiW-nHA composite catalyst for hydrocracking

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Gang; Hou, Yongzhao; Liu, Lei; Liu, Hongru; Liu, Can; Liu, Jing; Qiao, Huiting; Liu, Wenyong; Fan, Yubo; Shen, Shituan; Rong, Long

2012-11-01

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic capability of the NiW-nano-hydroxyapatite (NiW-nHA) composite were investigated in this paper. The NiW-nHA catalyst was prepared by a co-precipitation method. Then Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) were used to analyze this material. In addition, the catalytic capacity of the NiW-nHA composite was also examined by FT-IR and gas chromatography (GC). The results of FT-IR analysis indicated that Ni, W and nHA combined closely. TEM observation revealed that this catalyst was needle shaped and the crystal retained a nanometer size. XRD data also suggested that a new phase of CaWO4 appeared and the lattice parameters of nHA changed in this system. nHA was the carrier of metals. The rates of Ni/W-loading were 73.24% and 65.99% according to the EDX data, respectively. Furthermore, the conversion of 91.88% Jatropha oil was achieved at 360 °C and 3 MPa h-1 over NiW-nHA catalyst. The straight chain alkanes ranging from C15 to C18 were the main components in the production. The yield of C15-C18 alkanes was up to 83.56 wt%. The reaction pathway involved hydrocracking of the C&z.dbd;C bonds of these triglycerides from Jatropha oil. This paper developed a novel non-sulfided catalyst to obtain a ``green biofuel'' from vegetable oil.

Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties of PLLA/HA system

Science.gov (United States)

Nik Hanyn N., H.; Ahmad, K. Z. Ku; Yusof, Mohd Reusmaazran; Kamarolzaman, A. A.

2017-12-01

The poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanofibers have been prepared by electrospinning technique. The PLLA/CMS formulations applied at various voltage were studied for electrospinning into nanofibers. It was found that the morphology of the fibers became finer with the increment of voltage applied. The formulation with 10 kV voltage was selected as it shows promising result based on the morphology observation. The PLLA/CMS/HA formulation with HA loading concentration (i.e. 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 wt%) was fabricated in the next stage, and the effect of HA addition was studied. Observation showed that the electrospun nanofibers' diameters were reduced with the addition of HAp concentration from 0.25 wt% HAp to 1.00 wt% Hap.

Mao & Püha Eliisabet / Jüri Kuuskemaa

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kuuskemaa, Jüri, 1942-

2000-01-01

Kadrioru lossis Väliskunstimuuseumi ekspositsioonis olevast antikvaar August Käbi pärandist pärit maalist. Kunstiteadlase Mai Levini arvates võib maali autoriks olla Rooma kunstnik Tommaso Salini, hüüdnimega Mao. Maali süzee: "Püha Eliisabeti kuulutus". 1 ill

Prediction of IOI-HA Scores Using Speech Reception Thresholds and Speech Discrimination Scores in Quiet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brännström, K Jonas; Lantz, Johannes; Nielsen, Lars Holme

2014-01-01

), and speech discrimination scores (SDSs) in quiet or in noise are common assessments made prior to hearing aid (HA) fittings. It is not known whether SRT and SDS in quiet relate to HA outcome measured with the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA). PURPOSE: The aim of the present study...... COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The psychometric properties were evaluated and compared to previous studies using the IOI-HA. The associations and differences between the outcome scores and a number of descriptive variables (age, gender, fitted monaurally/binaurally with HA, first-time/experienced HA users, years...

El griot no ha muerto, viva el hip-hop

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fco. Javier González García-Mamely

2015-11-01

Full Text Available La oratura en África ha jugado un papel vital a lo largo de los milenios como un (único medio de preservar y transmitir la historia, la cultura y el imaginario de cada comunidad. El griot es un claro modelo de las artes orales, pero ha sufrido cambios drásticos en su modo de vida y en los recursos narrativos de los que dispone. Tras el mecenazgo de los grandes reyes y las sucesivas llegadas del islam, el colonialismo y los procesos de modernización y occidentalización, los griots se han tenido que adaptar a nuevos patrones, audiencias y medios de comunicación, convirtiéndose en políticos o en figuras del espectáculo. La aparición del rap y el hip-hop reclamando ser los “modernos griots” ha ocasionado una respuesta crítica y una atracción viral hacia el nuevo fenómeno, sea éste un nuevo género o una reinvención de la oratura del antiguo griot.

Changes of serum HA and LN level in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis after therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Jing Zhang Hongwei; Li Jie

2007-01-01

Objective: To study the serum HA and LN level in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and their response to therapy. Methods: Serum HA and LN levels were measured with RIA in: (1) 42 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis both before and after 2 months' therapy, (2) 40 patients with non-active pulmonary TB and 330 controls. Results: The serum HA and LN level in patients with active pulmonary tubemulosis were significantly higher than those in controls (P < 0.01 ), while no significant difference could Be found Between the levels in patients with non-active pulmonary tuberculosis and controls. The serum HA and LN level in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis dropped after therapy, but were still higher than those in controls. Significant correlation could Be found between HA and LN levels (P<0.01). The HA and LN levels were positively correlated with severity of the disease, ESR and CRP contents. Conclusion: The measurement of serum HA and LN is valuable for early diagnosis, monitoring development and assessment of therapeutic effect in patients with pulmonary tubemulosis. (authors)

Processed CTD and Water Sample Data from Research Vessel Ocean Starr in the NE Pacific, Aug. 31 and Sept. 01, 2012 (NCEI Accession 0156932)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The expedition by research vessel Ocean Starr on Aug. 31 and Sept. 01, 2012 had the objective to recover and re-deploy a number of moored platforms from the CORC...

166Ho-HA evaluation as therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandia, M.C.; Errazu, X.C.; Pinto, L.N.; Godoy, N.O.; Avila, M.J.; Mendoza, P.; Mendoza, J.; Jofre, J.; Sirraalta, P.

2002-01-01

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is a limiting disease having, among its pathological features, the inflammation of synovial tissue with progressive and later destruction of the articulation. This leads to joint deformation and loss of its function, generating pain and reducing the mobility of the affected articulation. The aim was to evaluate 166 Ho-Hydroxyapatite ( 166 Ho-HA) as potential radiopharmaceutical for the symptomatic treatment of chronic and acute arthritis. Materials and Methods: Holmiun-166 was produced by irradiation of Ho 2 O 3 at La Reina Research Reactor, Nuclear Chilean Energy Commission. Hydroxyapatite was in-house synthesized. Its labelling and quality controls follows the internationally accepted procedures. An antigen's arthritis was induced to eight New Zealand rabbits with the 166 Ho-HA radiochemical being administered thereafter in two dosage modalities (single and double). The compound therapeutic efficiency was evaluated based upon clinical improvement and images from the inflamated articulation using 67 Ga citrate before and after 166 Ho-HA injection. Results: The radiochemical purity of the inoculated compound was greater than 98% as measured under sterility conditions. Clinically, an inflammation reduction (2 cm), appetite improvement and general well being was observed. The 166 Ho-HA distribution and localization was monitored using gamma camera images taken at 4 and 24 h. There was no evidence of extra articular leakage. From the 67 Ga citrate imaging, the acute group shows an overall improvement of well being corresponding to a lesser uptake at the inflamated articulation, regarding to the chronic group. The 166 Ho-HA double doses, compared to the single doses, suggest a reduced uptake of 67 Ga citrate at the inflamated tissue, meaning an increased therapeutic effect. Conclusions: 166 Ho-HA is useful as therapeutic agent for the symptomatic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as shown by imaging and clinical examination

166 Ho-HA Evaluation as therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandia, M; Errazu, X; Mendoza, P; Troncoso, F; Jofre, J; Sierralta, P

2003-01-01

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is a limiting disease having, among its pathological features, the inflammation of synovial tissue with progressive and later destruction of the articulation. This lead to joint deformation and loss of its function, generating pain and reducing the mobility of the affected articulation. The aim was to evaluate 166 Ho-Hydroxyapatite ( 166 Ho-HA) as potential radiopharmaceutical for the syntomatic treatment of chronic and acute arthritis Materials and Methods: 166 Holmiun was produced by irradiation of Ho 2 O 3 at La Reina Research Reactor, Nuclear Chilean Energy Commission. Hydroxyapatite was in-house synthetized. Its labelling and quality controls follows the internationally accepted procedures. An antigen arthritis was induced to eight New Zealand rabbits with the 166 Ho-HA radiochemical being administred thereafter in two dosage modalities (single and double). The compound therapeutic efficiency was evaluated based upon clinical improvement and images from the inflamated articulation using 67 Ga citrate before and after 166 Ho-HA injection. Results: The radiochemical purity of the innoculated compound was greater than 98% as measured under sterility conditions. Clinically, an inflamation reduction (2 cm), appetite improvement and general well being was observed. The 166 Ho-HA distribution and localization was monitored using gamma camera images taken at 4 and 24 h. There was no evidence of extraarticular leakage. From the 67 Ga citrate imaging, the acute group shows an overall improvement of well being corresponding to a lesser uptake at the inflamated articulation, regarding to the chronic group. The 166 Ho-HA double dosis, compared to the single dosis, suggest a reduced uptake of 67 Ga citrate at the inflamated tissue, meaning an increased therapeutic effect. Conclusions: 166 Ho-HA is usefull as therapeutic agent for the syntomatic treatment of rheumatoideal arthritis as shown by imaging and clinical examination (author)

Mechanical, thermal, rheological and morphological behaviour of irradiated PP/HA composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, C.; Albano, C.; Karam, A.; Dominguez, N.; Sanchez, Y.; Gonzalez, G.

2005-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites are being developed as bone graft materials. In this research, the effect of γ irradiation on mechanical, rheological, thermal and morphological behaviour of PP-HA composites was studied. The melt flow index of polymer increased markedly when it was exposed to radiation. This is indicative of chain scission reaction as the predominant process. During the tensile testing, the composites exhibited brittle behaviour, showing no fluency point. Elongation at break showed a tendency to decrease with the increase in radiation dose while stress at break did not show significant variation with radiation dose. High HA content (>20%) and radiation dose (25 kGy) had significant influence on thermal stability

Helianthus tuberosus L.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-17

Aug 17, 2011 ... The first frost kills the stems and leaves, but tubers withstand freezing for months. Average tuber yields of 16 to 20 ton/ha may be expected from crops grown under ordinary farm conditions. Yields of tops for forage average are 18 to 28 ton/ha green weight (Duke,. 1983). The effect of cutting of Helianthus ...

Enhancement of mucosal immune responses by chimeric influenza HA/SHIV virus-like particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Lizheng; Lu Xiaoyan; Kang, S.-M.; Chen Changyi; Compans, Richard W.; Yao Qizhi

2003-01-01

To enhance mucosal immune responses using simian/human immunodeficiency virus-like particles (SHIV VLPs), we have produced novel phenotypically mixed chimeric influenza HA/SHIV VLPs and used them to immunize C57BL/6J mice intranasally. Antibody and cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses as well as cytokine production in both systemic and mucosal sites were compared after immunization with SHIV VLPs or chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. By using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the levels of serum IgG and mucosal IgA to the HIV envelope protein (Env) were found to be highest in the group immunized with chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. Furthermore, the highest titer of serum neutralizing antibody against HIV Env was found with the group immunized with chimeric HA/SHIV VLPs. Analysis of the IgG1/IgG2a ratio indicated that a T H 1-oriented immune response resulted from these VLP immunizations. HA/SHIV VLP-immunized mice also showed significantly higher CTL responses than those observed in SHIV VLP-immunized mice. Moreover, a MHC class I restricted T-cell activation ELISPOT assay showed a mixed type of T H 1/T H 2 cytokines in the HA/SHIV VLP-immunized mice, indicating that the chimeric VLPs can enhance both humoral and cellular immune responses to the HIV Env protein at multiple mucosal and systemic sites. The results indicate that incorporation of influenza HA into heterotypic VLPs may be highly effective for targeting vaccines to mucosal surfaces

3D bioprinting of methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) hydrogel with intrinsic osteogenicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Poldervaart, Michelle T; Goversen, Birgit; de Ruijter, Mylene; Abbadessa, Anna; Melchels, Ferry P W; Öner, F Cumhur; Dhert, Wouter J A; Vermonden, Tina; Alblas, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

In bone regenerative medicine there is a need for suitable bone substitutes. Hydrogels have excellent biocompatible and biodegradable characteristics, but their visco-elastic properties limit their applicability, especially with respect to 3D bioprinting. In this study, we modified the naturally occurring extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA), in order to yield photo-crosslinkable hydrogels with increased mechanical stiffness and long-term stability, and with minimal decrease in cytocompatibility. Application of these tailor-made methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) gels for bone tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting was the subject of investigation. Visco-elastic properties of MeHA gels, measured by rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis, showed that irradiation of the hydrogels with UV light led to increased storage moduli and elastic moduli, indicating increasing gel rigidity. Subsequently, human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were incorporated into MeHA hydrogels, and cell viability remained 64.4% after 21 days of culture. Osteogenic differentiation of MSCs occurred spontaneously in hydrogels with high concentrations of MeHA polymer, in absence of additional osteogenic stimuli. Addition of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) to the culture medium further increased osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by increased matrix mineralisation. MeHA hydrogels demonstrated to be suitable for 3D bioprinting, and were printed into porous and anatomically shaped scaffolds. Taken together, photosensitive MeHA-based hydrogels fulfilled our criteria for cellular bioprinted bone constructs within a narrow window of concentration.

3D bioprinting of methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA hydrogel with intrinsic osteogenicity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle T Poldervaart

Full Text Available In bone regenerative medicine there is a need for suitable bone substitutes. Hydrogels have excellent biocompatible and biodegradable characteristics, but their visco-elastic properties limit their applicability, especially with respect to 3D bioprinting. In this study, we modified the naturally occurring extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA, in order to yield photo-crosslinkable hydrogels with increased mechanical stiffness and long-term stability, and with minimal decrease in cytocompatibility. Application of these tailor-made methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA gels for bone tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting was the subject of investigation. Visco-elastic properties of MeHA gels, measured by rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis, showed that irradiation of the hydrogels with UV light led to increased storage moduli and elastic moduli, indicating increasing gel rigidity. Subsequently, human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs were incorporated into MeHA hydrogels, and cell viability remained 64.4% after 21 days of culture. Osteogenic differentiation of MSCs occurred spontaneously in hydrogels with high concentrations of MeHA polymer, in absence of additional osteogenic stimuli. Addition of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2 to the culture medium further increased osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by increased matrix mineralisation. MeHA hydrogels demonstrated to be suitable for 3D bioprinting, and were printed into porous and anatomically shaped scaffolds. Taken together, photosensitive MeHA-based hydrogels fulfilled our criteria for cellular bioprinted bone constructs within a narrow window of concentration.

A Modified ELISA Accurately Measures Secretion of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan (HA) by Graves' Disease Orbital Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Krieger, Christine C.

2014-01-01

Excess production of hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid [HA]) in the retro-orbital space is a major component of Graves' ophthalmopathy, and regulation of HA production by orbital cells is a major research area. In most previous studies, HA was measured by ELISAs that used HA-binding proteins for detection and rooster comb HA as standards. We show that the binding efficiency of HA-binding protein in the ELISA is a function of HA polymer size. Using gel electrophoresis, we show that HA secreted from orbital cells is primarily comprised of polymers more than 500 000. We modified a commercially available ELISA by using 1 million molecular weight HA as standard to accurately measure HA of this size. We demonstrated that IL-1β-stimulated HA secretion is at least 2-fold greater than previously reported, and activation of the TSH receptor by an activating antibody M22 from a patient with Graves' disease led to more than 3-fold increase in HA production in both fibroblasts/preadipocytes and adipocytes. These effects were not consistently detected with the commercial ELISA using rooster comb HA as standard and suggest that fibroblasts/preadipocytes may play a more prominent role in HA remodeling in Graves' ophthalmopathy than previously appreciated. PMID:24302624

Inhibitory effect of PTD-OD-HA fusion protein on Bcr-Abl in K562 cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao GAO

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Objective　To study the transduction dynamics, location of PTD-OD-HA fusion protein and its interaction with Bcr-Abl oncoprotein in K562 cell lines, and explore the influence of PTD-OD-HA fusion protein on oligomerization and tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl. Methods　PTD-OD-HA fusion protein was labeled with FITC and co-cultured with K562 cells. The transduction efficiency of labeled PTD-OD-HA at different doses and time intervals was observed under fluorescence microscope. The location of labeled PTD-OD-HA fusion protein in K562 cells was detected by confocal microscopy. The interaction of PTD-OD-HA fusion protein with Bcr-Abl oncoprotein was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. The phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein was detected by Western blotting. Results　PTD-OD-HA fusion protein labeled with FITC was transduced into K562 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PTD-OD-HA fusion protein was located in the cytoplasm of K562 cells and was consistent with the location of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. The interaction of PTD-OD-HA fusion protein with Bcr-Abl oncoprotein was proved in K562 cells. This interaction could interrupt the homologous oligomerization of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein and reduce the phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Conclusion　PTD-OD-HA fusion protein could be transduced into K562 cells efficiently, inhibit the oligomerization and reduce the phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein.

Ahmet Haşim’de Ev-Yuva ve Doğa İmgesi Home-Nest and Nature Images in Ahmet Haşim

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Refika ALTIKULAÇ DEMİRDAĞ

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Home and Nest images are commonly used images in poetry. Home is a shelter within the poet feels himself safe and secure. Image of nature in Ahmet Hasim’s poems, has been the most focused subjects on. Furthermore, assessments have been made on the poet's pessimism and desire that escape to an imaginary world from the real world. But, It hasn’t been dwelled enough on subject why Haşim escape from the real world to an imaginary world. Because, imaginary world that was created in Haşim’s poems, is richer than the real world. It is alsa a remarkable issue, the need of Haşim for a home and a nest or a shelter in nature. Haşim is more peaceful in a narrower space, inside the home. We can see this situation in poet’s poem called "Evim". Furthermore Hashim described a larger shelter in his poem called "O Belde”. “O Belde” is a part of nature and a nook in nature. Therefore, just like abird's nest, it has been made with the poet's feelings, his heart. Actuallyit is not important to be real or not for poet. Because in fact the poetknows the place that described, is mind’s shelter. It is the poet’s mindand dream, who wants to escape from the real world. His mind wants toescape from the real world, Because the real world is a place that ispessimistic and unsafe. There is plenty of "movement" and plenty oflight. This plenty of movement and light has scared the poet. He canfind the world that is less bright, more silent, more and more intimatewith nature, in his "untouched" regions of his mind. This is the placethat he found is home-nest, “O Belde”. Ev ve yuva imgeleri şiirde çok kullanılan imgelerdendir. Şairin kendini güvende hissettiği bir sığınaktır ev. Ahmet Haşim’in şiirlerinde doğa imgesi üzerinde en fazla durulan konulardan olmuştur. Ayrıca şairin karamsarlığı ve gerçek dünyadan hayali dünyaya kaçma isteği üzerinde de değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır. Fakat Haşim’in neden gerçek d

The Characteristics of Marine Environment around the Ieodo in Aug. 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, E.; KIM, S. H.; KIM, E.; KIM, B. N.; CHOI, B. K.

2017-12-01

The sea area around Ieodo is analyzed from the CTD data and the S-ADCP data observed in 23 Aug. 2016. Ieodo, an underwater reef, is located 149 km southwest of Marado in Republic of Korea. It has 4 peaks and is about 4.6 meter below sea level. It stretches about 600m north to south and 750m east to west from its top. It has the same geographical characteristics as the seamount. In the sea area around Ieodo, the northward flow appeared during the ebb tide, the southward flow appeared during the flood tide. The strong stratification formed in summer seems to change the depth depending on the sea water current. The thermocline depth becomes deeper at the north of the Ieodo when the northward current flows and the upwelling flow occurs. And the thermocline depth becomes shallower at the south when the southward current flows and the downwelling flow occurs. In this way, the upwelling and downwelling seems to be according to the tide's direction. Acknowledgements This research was a part of the projects entitled "Construction of Ocean Research Stations and their application Studies, Phase 2", funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea.

Experimental study on bone tissue reaction around HA implants radiated after implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudo, Masato; Matsui, Yoshiro; Tamura, Sayaka; Chen, Xuan; Uchida, Haruo; Mori, Kimie; Ohno, Kohsuke; Michi, Ken-ichi

1998-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate histologically and histomorphometrically the tissue reaction around hydroxylapatite (HA) implants that underwent irradiation in 3 different periods in the course of bone healing after implantation. The cylindrical high-density HA implants were implanted in 48 Japanese white rabbit mandibles. A single 15 Gy dose was applied to the mandible 5, 14, or 28 days after implantation. The rabbits were sacrificed 7, 14, 28, and 90 days after irradiation. Nonirradiated rabbits were used as controls. CMR, labeling with tetracycline and calcein, and non-decalcified specimens stained with toluidine blue were used for histological analyses and histomorphometric measurements. The results were as follows: In the rabbits irradiated 5 days after implantation, the HA-bone contact was observed later than that in the controls and the bone-implant contact surface ratio was lower than that in the controls at examination because necrosis of the newly-formed bone occurred just after irradiation. HA-bone contact of the rabbits irradiated 14 and 28 days after implantation was similar to that of the controls. And, bone remodeling was suppressed in rabbits of each group sacrificed at 90 days after irradiation. The results suggested that a short interval between implantation and irradiation causes direct contact between HA implant and bone and a long lapse of time before irradiation hardly affects the bone-implant contact, but delays bone remodeling. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent overloading the HA implants irradiated after implantation and pay utmost attention to conditions around the bone-implant contact. (author)

New therapeutic agent for radiation synovectomy - preparation of {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP-HA particle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, H.; Jin, X.; Du, J.; Wang, F.; Chen, D.; Fan, H.; Cheng, Z.; Zhang, J. [China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing (Switzerland). Isotope Department

1997-10-01

In order to prepare new therapeutical agent for radiation synovectomy, Hydroxyapatite (HA) was labelled with {sup 166}Ho by EDTMP that had high affinity to HA particles. Radiolabelling of HA particles was divided into two steps, {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP was prepared first; then mixed with HA particles completely and vibrated for 15 minutes on the micromixer at room temperature, washed 3 times with deionized water. Radiolabelling particle was separated from free {sup 166}Ho via centrifugation to determine its radiolabelling efficiency. {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP-HA and {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP were injected into knee joint of normal rabbits respectively, every group was killed at different time postinjection, took out major organ and collected urine and blood, then weighted and determined their radio counts. HA particles, as a natural component of bone was known to have good compatibility with soft tissue and biodegrade into calcium and phosphate in vivo. It was readily prepared from common chemical and formed into particles of desired size range in a controlled process, it had high stability in vitro and vivo. Radiolabelling of HA particle with {sup 166}Ho by EDTMP was simple to perform and provides an excellent labelling yield that was more than 95% under the optimal labelling condition. The optimal labelling condition at room temperature was pH 6.0-8.0 and vibration time 15 minutes. The absorbed capacity of HA particle was 5 mg Ho/g HA particle and size of radiolabelling particle was at range of 2-5,{mu}m that is suitable for therapy of radiation synovectomy. {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP-HA particle demonstrated high in vitro stability in either normal saline or 1% BSA solution, but instability under extremely acidic condition (pH 1-2). The control studies performed with {sup 166}Ho-EDTMP not bound to HA particle provided information on the distribution of radioactivity that would occur upon leakage of the radiochemical compound from joint. Its short half-life, its extremely low leakage from the

Sintering behavior and property of bioglass modified HA-Al2O3 composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Li-li

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The bioglass modified HA-Al2O3 composites were successfully fabricated by mixing HA, synthesized by wet chemical method between precursor materials H3PO4 and Ca(OH2, with 25wt% Al2O3 and different content of bioglass (5%, 25%, 45%, 65wt% respectively, with a mole fraction of 53.9%SiO2, 22.6%Na2O, 21.8%CaO, and 1.7wt%P2O5, sintered in air at various temperatures (750-950°C for 2h. when the content of bioglass is below 45wt% in the composite, HA decomposes completely and transforms to β-TCP. The main phase in this case are β-TCP, Al2O3 and Ca3(AlO32.When the content of bioglass is above 45wt% in the composite, the decomposition of HA to β-TCP is suppressed and the main phases in this case are Al2O3 and HA, DCP□CaHPO4□ and β-TCP, which almost have the same chemical composition, forming ternary-glass phase, and have better bioactive than pure HA. It can also be found that at the certain addition of bioglass, the higher sintered temperature, the bigger volume density and flexural strength of the composite are, but when the sintered temperature reaches 950°C, they decrease. This modified HA-Al2O3 composites by calcium silicate glass have a much lower sintering temperature and decrease the production cost much.

HaVec: An Efficient de Bruijn Graph Construction Algorithm for Genome Assembly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Mahfuzer Rahman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The rapid advancement of sequencing technologies has made it possible to regularly produce millions of high-quality reads from the DNA samples in the sequencing laboratories. To this end, the de Bruijn graph is a popular data structure in the genome assembly literature for efficient representation and processing of data. Due to the number of nodes in a de Bruijn graph, the main barrier here is the memory and runtime. Therefore, this area has received significant attention in contemporary literature. Results. In this paper, we present an approach called HaVec that attempts to achieve a balance between the memory consumption and the running time. HaVec uses a hash table along with an auxiliary vector data structure to store the de Bruijn graph thereby improving the total memory usage and the running time. A critical and noteworthy feature of HaVec is that it exhibits no false positive error. Conclusions. In general, the graph construction procedure takes the major share of the time involved in an assembly process. HaVec can be seen as a significant advancement in this aspect. We anticipate that HaVec will be extremely useful in the de Bruijn graph-based genome assembly.

Elastin-like protein-hyaluronic acid (ELP-HA) hydrogels with decoupled mechanical and biochemical cues for cartilage regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Danqing; Wang, Huiyuan; Trinh, Pavin; Heilshorn, Sarah C; Yang, Fan

2017-05-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of cartilage extracellular matrix and is an attractive material for use as 3D injectable matrices for cartilage regeneration. While previous studies have shown the promise of HA-based hydrogels to support cell-based cartilage formation, varying HA concentration generally led to simultaneous changes in both biochemical cues and stiffness. How cells respond to the change of biochemical content of HA remains largely unknown. Here we report an adaptable elastin-like protein-hyaluronic acid (ELP-HA) hydrogel platform using dynamic covalent chemistry, which allows variation of HA concentration without affecting matrix stiffness. ELP-HA hydrogels were created through dynamic hydrazone bonds via the reaction between hydrazine-modified ELP (ELP-HYD) and aldehyde-modified HA (HA-ALD). By tuning the stoichiometric ratio of aldehyde groups to hydrazine groups while maintaining ELP-HYD concentration constant, hydrogels with variable HA concentration (1.5%, 3%, or 5%) (w/v) were fabricated with comparable stiffness. To evaluate the effects of HA concentration on cell-based cartilage regeneration, chondrocytes were encapsulated within ELP-HA hydrogels with varying HA concentration. Increasing HA concentration led to a dose-dependent increase in cartilage-marker gene expression and enhanced sGAG deposition while minimizing undesirable fibrocartilage phenotype. The use of adaptable protein hydrogels formed via dynamic covalent chemistry may be broadly applicable as 3D scaffolds with decoupled niche properties to guide other desirable cell fates and tissue repair. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study of Hybrid Composite Hydroxyapatite (HA-Geopolymers as a Material for Biomedical Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleha

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this research is to study the physical properties and microstructure characters of hybrid composites HA-geopolymers as a material for biomedical application. Hybrid composite HA–geopolymers were produced through alkaline activation method of metakaolin as a matrix and HA as the filler. HA was synthesized from eggshell particles by using a precipitation method. The addition of HA in metakaolin paste was varied from 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% relative the weight of metakaolin. FTIR was used to examine the absorption bands the composites. X-ray diffraction (XRD was used to study the crystal structure of the starting and the resulting materials. Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS was used to investigate the surface morphology of the composites. The thermal properties of the samples was examined by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC. Capacitance measurement was conducted to investigate the bioactive properties of HA. The study results suggest that hybrid composite HA-geopolymers has a potential to be applied as a biomedical such as biosensor material.

mRNA secondary structure at start AUG codon is a key limiting factor for human protein expression in Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Weici; Xiao Weihua; Wei Haiming; Zhang Jian; Tian Zhigang

2006-01-01

Codon usage and thermodynamic optimization of the 5'-end of mRNA have been applied to improve the efficiency of human protein production in Escherichia coli. However, high level expression of human protein in E. coli is still a challenge that virtually depends upon each individual target genes. Using human interleukin 10 (huIL-10) and interferon α (huIFN-α) coding sequences, we systematically analyzed the influence of several major factors on expression of human protein in E. coli. The results from huIL-10 and reinforced by huIFN-α showed that exposing AUG initiator codon from base-paired structure within mRNA itself significantly improved the translation of target protein, which resulted in a 10-fold higher protein expression than the wild-type genes. It was also noted that translation process was not affected by the retained short-range stem-loop structure at Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequences. On the other hand, codon-optimized constructs of huIL-10 showed unimproved levels of protein expression, on the contrary, led to a remarkable RNA degradation. Our study demonstrates that exposure of AUG initiator codon from long-range intra-strand secondary structure at 5'-end of mRNA may be used as a general strategy for human protein production in E. coli

{sup 166} Ho-HA Evaluation as therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis treatment; Evaluacion de {sup 166}Ho-Ha como agente terapeutico en el tratamiento de la artritis reumatoidea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandia, M; Errazu, X [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile); Mendoza, P [Departamento de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Militar, Santiago (Chile); Troncoso, F [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile); Jofre, J; Sierralta, P [Departamento de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Militar, Santiago (Chile)

2003-01-01

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is a limiting disease having, among its pathological features, the inflammation of synovial tissue with progressive and later destruction of the articulation. This lead to joint deformation and loss of its function, generating pain and reducing the mobility of the affected articulation. The aim was to evaluate {sup 166}Ho-Hydroxyapatite ({sup 166} Ho-HA) as potential radiopharmaceutical for the syntomatic treatment of chronic and acute arthritis Materials and Methods: {sup 166}Holmiun was produced by irradiation of Ho{sub 2}O{sub 3} at La Reina Research Reactor, Nuclear Chilean Energy Commission. Hydroxyapatite was in-house synthetized. Its labelling and quality controls follows the internationally accepted procedures. An antigen arthritis was induced to eight New Zealand rabbits with the {sup 166}Ho-HA radiochemical being administred thereafter in two dosage modalities (single and double). The compound therapeutic efficiency was evaluated based upon clinical improvement and images from the inflamated articulation using {sup 67}Ga citrate before and after {sup 166} Ho-HA injection. Results: The radiochemical purity of the innoculated compound was greater than 98% as measured under sterility conditions. Clinically, an inflamation reduction (2 cm), appetite improvement and general well being was observed. The {sup 166} Ho-HA distribution and localization was monitored using gamma camera images taken at 4 and 24 h. There was no evidence of extraarticular leakage. From the {sup 67}Ga citrate imaging, the acute group shows an overall improvement of well being corresponding to a lesser uptake at the inflamated articulation, regarding to the chronic group. The {sup 166}Ho-HA double dosis, compared to the single dosis, suggest a reduced uptake of {sup 67}Ga citrate at the inflamated tissue, meaning an increased therapeutic effect. Conclusions: {sup 166} Ho-HA is usefull as therapeutic agent for the syntomatic treatment of rheumatoideal arthritis

Hamster endogenous retrovirus (HaER) - distinct properties of structural proteins and DNA polymerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldschmied-Reouven, A.; Yaniv, A.

1983-01-01

The structural proteins as well as some features of the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of the hamster endogenous retrovirus (HaER) were examined. The polypeptide pattern of this virus is substantially different from that of other known retroviruses in containing major polypeptides with molecular weights of 68000, 59000, 27000, 24000 daltons. Double antibody competitive radioimmunoassays showed that the HaER particles do not share any detectable antigenic relatedness with the murine viruses' p30, but manifest a considerable relatedness with the feline leukemia virus p27 and a slight cross-reactivity with the rat virus major protein. The RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of HaER virus has a molecular size of approximately 73000 daltons and in contrast to other mammalian retroviruses shows no significant preference for Mn 2+ over Mg 2+ . Apart from the lack of antigenic relatedness between the HaER virus proteins and the p30 protein of murine viruses, there is also no antigenic relatedness between HaER and murine viruses insofar as their DNA polymerase is concerned. (Author)

Läkaköha - aktuaalne uurimisteema / Marje Oona

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Oona, Marje, 1963-

2012-01-01

TÜ peremeditsiini õppetooli töötajate poolt algatatud uurimistööst, mille eesmärgiks on uurida Bordetella spp. infektsioonide epidemioloogiat, molekulaargeneetikat ja kliinilisi eripärasid ning selgitada läkaköha sagedasema diagnsimise põhjusi Eestis

The Technology and Properties of Digital Double Pulse Electrodepositing Ni-HA Composite Coating of Bioceramics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DONG He-yan; WANG Zhou; SHI Gu-guizhi; FU Chuan-qi; CHEN Wei-rong; JIN Zhong-hong; LI Yan

2004-01-01

This article discusses and analyses the technology, the surface image, microstructure and ability of digital double pulse electrodepositing Ni-HA composite coatings of bioceramics made on 1Crl8Ni9Ti substrate by SEM ,XRD and so on. The results shows that ( 1 ) the HA particles exit in substrate uniformly; (2) XRD result shows that there are HA peaks at 78. 023 ° ,43. 246°and 73. 120°differently; (3) The microhardnees of the composite coatings is increased with the rise of content of HA particles, and on the same conditions the microhardnees value is greater than that of common non-pulse electrodepositing Ni-HA composite coatings of bioceramics. (4) The grain size of digital double pulse electrodepositing Ni-HA composite coatings of bioceramics is much thinner than that of common D. C.

c-Ha-ras BamHI RFLP in human urothelial tumors and point mutations in hot codons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weismanova, E; Skovraga, M.; Kaluz, S.

1993-01-01

High-molecular weights DNAs from 30 bladder and renal cell carcinomas (RCC) were isolated and the c-Ha-ras the c-Ha-ras gene BamHI RFLP was examined. Amplification of c-Ha-ras with normal localization with regard to the size of alleles was found only in the case. One of the normally localized c-Ha-ras allele termed RCC c-H-ras of a length of about 6.6 kbp was cloned and an oncogene-activating point mutation was identified using two restriction enzymes. After comparison of CfrI and Cfr10I cleavage maps of RCC c-Ha-ras to complete nucleotide sequences of EJ/T24 c-Ha-ras oncogene and its normal counterpart, a point mutation was identified within codon 11 or 12. The use of CfrI and Cfr10I is of value for clinical practice in identification of point mutations in c-Ha-ras PCR product in neoplasia accompanied by somatic mutation of c-Ha-ras. The correlation among c-Ha-ras allele, amplification/loss, presence of point mutation and progression of neoplasia is discussed. (author)

Fabrication and in vitro biocompatibility of biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Junmin; Xu, Weijun; Yong, Xueqing; Jin, Xinxia; Zhang, Wei

2014-01-01

In this study, biomorphic poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/nano-hydroxyapatite (PLGA/nHA) composite scaffolds were successfully prepared using cane as a template. The porous morphology, phase, compression characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of the PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds and biomorphic PLGA scaffolds as control were investigated. The results showed that the biomorphic scaffolds preserved the original honeycomb-like architecture of cane and exhibited a bimodal porous structure. The average channel diameter and micropore size of the PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were 164 ± 52 μm and 13 ± 8 μm, respectively, with a porosity of 89.3 ± 1.4%. The incorporation of nHA into PLGA decreased the degree of crystallinity of PLGA, and significantly improved the compressive modulus of biomorphic scaffolds. The in vitro biocompatibility evaluation with MC3T3-E1 cells demonstrated that the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds could better support cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation than the biomorphic PLGA scaffolds. The localization depth of MC3T3-E1 cells within the channels of the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds could reach approximately 400 μm. The results suggested that the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were promising candidates for bone tissue engineering. - Highlights: • Novel biomimetic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were successfully prepared. • nHA addition improved elastic modulus of PLGA scaffold and decreased its crystallinity. • PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds had better biocompatibility than PLGA scaffolds. • Biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffold had great potential in bone tissue engineering

Fabrication and in vitro biocompatibility of biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, Junmin, E-mail: jmqian@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Xu, Weijun; Yong, Xueqing; Jin, Xinxia; Zhang, Wei

2014-03-01

In this study, biomorphic poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/nano-hydroxyapatite (PLGA/nHA) composite scaffolds were successfully prepared using cane as a template. The porous morphology, phase, compression characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of the PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds and biomorphic PLGA scaffolds as control were investigated. The results showed that the biomorphic scaffolds preserved the original honeycomb-like architecture of cane and exhibited a bimodal porous structure. The average channel diameter and micropore size of the PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were 164 ± 52 μm and 13 ± 8 μm, respectively, with a porosity of 89.3 ± 1.4%. The incorporation of nHA into PLGA decreased the degree of crystallinity of PLGA, and significantly improved the compressive modulus of biomorphic scaffolds. The in vitro biocompatibility evaluation with MC3T3-E1 cells demonstrated that the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds could better support cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation than the biomorphic PLGA scaffolds. The localization depth of MC3T3-E1 cells within the channels of the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds could reach approximately 400 μm. The results suggested that the biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were promising candidates for bone tissue engineering. - Highlights: • Novel biomimetic PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds were successfully prepared. • nHA addition improved elastic modulus of PLGA scaffold and decreased its crystallinity. • PLGA/nHA composite scaffolds had better biocompatibility than PLGA scaffolds. • Biomorphic PLGA/nHA composite scaffold had great potential in bone tissue engineering.

Fabrication and Characterization of Collagen-Immobilized Porous PHBV/HA Nano composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin-Young, B.; Zhi-Cai, X.; Giseop, K.; Keun-Byoung, Y.; Soo-Young, P.; Lee, S.P.; Inn-Kyu, K.

2012-01-01

The porous composite scaffolds (PHBV/HA) consisting of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were fabricated using a hot-press machine and salt-leaching. Collagen (type I) was then immobilized on the surface of the porous PHBV/HA composite scaffolds to improve tissue compatibility. The structure and morphology of the collagen-immobilized composite scaffolds (PHBV/HA/Col) were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The potential of the porous PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds for use as a bone scaffold was assessed by an experiment with osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1) in terms of cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The results showed that the PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds possess better cell adhesion and significantly higher proliferation and differentiation than the PHBV/HA composite scaffolds and the PHBV scaffolds. These results suggest that the PHBV/HA/Col composite scaffolds have a high potential for use in the field of bone regeneration and tissue engineering.

Mishima jo ha kyu

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Casari

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract – IT La grandezza artistica di Mishima si è espressa attraverso una eterogenea gamma di linguaggi tra i quali il teatro – nella drammaturgia ma anche nella saggistica, regia, recitazione e direzione di compagnia – ha avuto un ruolo di primo piano. Al pari di un uomo di scena Mishima inaugura, a partire dagli anni ’50, un processo di attenzione al proprio corpo come possibile, anzi necessario, veicolo di estrinsecazione etico-estetica tanto da poter istituire l’equazione corpo-teatro quale snodo profondo del suo processo creativo. Il corpo sognato e ottenuto da Mishima attraverso l’addestramento nel kendo, in altre arti marziali e nel body building si conformava ad un ideale estetico di matrice greco-classica assai lontano dal corpo teatrale nipponico. Il corpo come luogo di elaborazione e strumento di espressione autentica da realizzare con impegno, però, lo legano profondamente alle esperienze nascenti – tra gli anni ’50 e ’60 – delle avanguardie teatrali giapponesi. La metafora teatrale è spesso usata nella lettura critica del Mishima uomo e artista con accezione deteriore: un personaggio che dà spettacolo di sé con ripetute provocazioni tra le quali il suicidio del 25 novembre 1970 non sarebbe che l’esempio ultimo e più estremo. La costruzione di sé come personaggio, invece, sembrerebbe corrispondere ad una ben più profonda e meditata necessità di comporre la propria vita in una sapiente messa in scena di classica perfezione: i principi della scansione ritmico formale del jo ha kyu, pilastro teorico del teatro no codificato da Zeami tra XIV e XV secolo, offrono un valido modello di riferimento. Abstract – EN Mishima’s artistic greatness has been expressed through a diverse range of languages among wich theater – in dramaturgy as well as in written essays, as a director, performer and in company direction – played a central role. As a true front-man, Mishima – starting from the 50’s �

Tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite (TCP-HA) bone scaffold as potential candidate for the formation of tissue engineered bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Shamsul Bin; Keong, Tan Kok; Cheng, Chen Hui; Saim, Aminuddin Bin; Idrus, Ruszymah Bt Hj

2013-06-01

Various materials have been used as scaffolds to suit different demands in tissue engineering. One of the most important criteria is that the scaffold must be biocompatible. This study was carried out to investigate the potential of HA or TCP/HA scaffold seeded with osteogenic induced sheep marrow cells (SMCs) for bone tissue engineering. HA-SMC and TCP/HA-SMC constructs were induced in the osteogenic medium for three weeks prior to implantation in nude mice. The HA-SMC and TCP/HA-SMC constructs were implanted subcutaneously on the dorsum of nude mice on each side of the midline. These constructs were harvested after 8 wk of implantation. Constructs before and after implantation were analyzed through histological staining, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and gene expression analysis. The HA-SMC constructs demonstrated minimal bone formation. TCP/HA-SMC construct showed bone formation eight weeks after implantation. The bone formation started on the surface of the ceramic and proceeded to the centre of the pores. H&E and Alizarin Red staining demonstrated new bone tissue. Gene expression of collagen type 1 increased significantly for both constructs, but more superior for TCP/HA-SMC. SEM results showed the formation of thick collagen fibers encapsulating TCP/HA-SMC more than HA-SMC. Cells attached to both constructs surface proliferated and secreted collagen fibers. The findings suggest that TCP/HA-SMC constructs with better osteogenic potential compared to HA-SMC constructs can be a potential candidate for the formation of tissue engineered bone.

A study on improving mechanical properties of porous HA tissue engineering scaffolds by hot isostatic pressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jing; Xiao Suguang; Lu Xiong; Wang Jianxin; Weng Jie

2006-01-01

Various interconnected porous hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic scaffolds are universally used to induct the tissue growth for bone repair and replacement, and serve to support the adhesion, transfer, proliferation and differentiation of cells. Impregnation of polyurethane sponges with a ceramic slurry is adopted to produce highly porous HA ceramic scaffolds with a 3D interconnected structure. However, high porosity always accompanies a decrease in the strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds. Therefore, it is significant to improve the strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds with highly interconnected porosity so that they are more suitable in clinical applications. In this work, highly porous HA ceramic scaffolds are first produced by the polymer impregnation approach, and subsequently further sintered by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The phase composition, macro- and micro-porous structure, sintering and mechanical properties of the porous HA scaffolds are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nanoindentation analysis and compressive test. The experimental results show that the nanohardness and compressive strength of HIP-sintered porous HA ceramics are higher than those of commonly sintered HA scaffolds. The HIP technique can effectively improve the sintering property and densification of porous HA ceramic scaffolds, so inducing an increase in the compression strength

Trehalose improves cell proliferation and dehydration tolerance of human HaCaT cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Kyung Eun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Trehalose is a disaccharide molecule that serves as a natural osmotic regulator in halophilic microorganisms and plants but not in mammals. We observed that human HaCaT cells supplied with trehalose improved cell proliferation and extended viability under dehydration. In HaCaT cells, in response to increasing concentrations of exogenous trehalose, the levels of heat shock protein (HSP 70 increased and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP 1 decreased. Proteome analysis of trehalose-treated HaCaT cells revealed remarkable increases in the levels of proteins involved in cell signaling and the cell cycle, including p21 activated kinase I, Sec I family domain protein and elongation factor G. Moreover, the proteins for cell stress resistance, tryptophan hydroxylase, serine/cysteine proteinase inhibitors and vitamin D receptors were also increased. In addition, the proteins responsible for the maintenance of the cytoskeleton and cellular structures including procollagen-lysine dioxygenase, vinculin and ezrin were increased. Proteomic data revealed that trehalose affected HaCaT cells by inducing the proteins involved in cell proliferation. These results suggest that trehalose improves the proliferation and dehydration tolerance of HaCaT cells by inducing proteins involved in cell growth and dehydration protection.

¿Ha cambiado la esencia de la medicina con los adelantos modernos?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Arango Restrepo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available La sociedad a lo largo de los siglos ha tenido cambios progresivos y en la actualidad estos son rápidos e incluyen el ejercicio de la profesión médica, que ha perdido su enfoque inicial en el paciente para centrarse en un interés prin - cipalmente comercial en detrimento de la atención respetuosa al paciente. En el presente artículo se revisa cuál ha sido considerada la esencia de la profesión a lo largo de los siglos, se contrasta con la situación actual y se invita a recuperar el ejercicio médico centrado en el paciente

Synthesis of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) from waste mussel shells using a rapid microwave method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shavandi, Amin, E-mail: amin.shavandi@postgrad.otago.ac.nz [Department of Food Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin (New Zealand); Bekhit, Alaa El-Din A. [Department of Food Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin (New Zealand); Ali, Azam [Department of Applied Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin (New Zealand); Sun, Zhifa [Department of Physics, University of Otago, Dunedin (New Zealand)

2015-01-15

Nano-crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca{sub 10}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}(OH){sub 2}) was produced from waste mussel shells using a rapid microwave irradiation method. Mussel shells were converted to rod like nano-crystalline HA particles of 30–70 nm long using 0.1 M EDTA as a chelating agent for 30 min after an appropriate pre-treatment and an irradiation step in a microwave with a power of 1.1 kW. The produced HA was characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the morphology, particle size, crystal phases, elemental composition and thermal behaviour. Furthermore, to benchmark the synthesized HA obtained from mussel shells, it was compared with a commercially pure HA (Sigma–Aldrich). The thermal analysis showed that the synthesized HA has remarkable heat stability at 1000 °C, and the XRD and FTIR results showed a high purity of the synthesized HA powders. Compared to the conventional hydrothermal treatment, microwave-assisted method has the advantages of an increased rate of HA formation. The obtained HA have potential engineering applications as materials for bone-tissues. - Highlights: • Waste mussel shells were successfully converted to nano sized hydroxyapatite. • Microwave-assisted technique accelerated the conversion process. • The physicochemical properties of the produced hydroxyapatite are reported. • The prepared hydroxyapatite has nano sized particles of less than 100 nm.

Evaluation of nanohydroxyapaptite (nano-HA) coated epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) cross-linked collagen membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Chenyu; Deng, Jia; Man, Yi; Qu, Yili

2017-09-01

Collagen is the main component of extracellular matrix (ECM) with desirable biological activities and low antigenicity. Collagen materials have been widely utilized in guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgery due to its abilities to maintain space for hard tissue growth. However, pure collagen lacks optimal mechanical properties. In our previous study, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) cross-linked collagen membranes, with better biological activities and enhanced mechanical properties, may promote osteoblast proliferation, but their effect on osteoblast differentiation is not very significant. Nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) is the main component of mineral bone, which possesses exceptional bioactivity properties including good biocompatibility, high osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity, non-immunogenicity and non-inflammatory behavior. Herein, by analyzing the physical and chemical properties as well as the effects on promoting bone regeneration, we have attempted to present a novel EGCG-modified collagen membrane with nano-HA coating, and have found evidence that the novel collagen membrane may promote bone regeneration with a better surface morphology, without destroying collagen backbone. To evaluate the surface morphologies, chemical and mechanical properties of pure collagen membranes, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) cross-linked collagen membranes, nano-HA coated collagen membranes, nano-HA coated EGCG-collagen membranes, (ii) to evaluate the bone regeneration promoted by theses membranes. In the present study, collagen membranes were divided into 4 groups: (1) untreated collagen membranes (2) EGCG cross-linked collagen membranes (3) nano-HA modified collagen membranes (4) nano-HA modified EGCG-collagen membranes. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to evaluate surface morphologies and chemical properties, respectively. Mechanical properties were determined by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC

PCL-HA microscaffolds for in vitro modular bone tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Totaro, Alessandra; Salerno, Aurelio; Imparato, Giorgia; Domingo, Concepción; Urciuolo, Francesco; Netti, Paolo Antonio

2017-06-01

The evolution of microscaffolds and bone-bioactive surfaces is a pivotal point in modular bone tissue engineering. In this study, the design and fabrication of porous polycaprolactone (PCL) microscaffolds functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles by means of a bio-safe and versatile thermally-induced phase separation process is reported. The ability of the as-prepared nanocomposite microscaffolds to support the adhesion, growth and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in standard and osteogenic media and using dynamic seeding/culture conditions was investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that the PCL-HA nanocomposite microparticles had an enhanced interaction with hMSCs and induced their osteogenic differentiation, even without the exogenous addition of osteogenic factors. In particular, calcium deposition, alizarin red assay, histological analysis, osteogenic gene expression and collagen I secretion were assessed. The results of these tests demonstrated the formation of bone microtissue precursors after 28 days of dynamic culture. These findings suggest that PCL-HA nanocomposite microparticles represent an excellent platform for in vitro modular bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the HA3 component of Clostridium botulinum type C progenitor toxin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, Toshio; Tonozuka, Takashi; Kotani, Mao; Obata, Kanae [Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509 (Japan); Oguma, Keiji [Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558 (Japan); Nishikawa, Atsushi, E-mail: nishikaw@cc.tuat.ac.jp [Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (Japan)

2007-12-01

HA3, a 70 kDa haemagglutinating protein, is a precursor form of HA3a and HA3b, the subcomponents of Clostridium botulinum type C 16S progenitor toxin. In this report, recombinant HA3 protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. HA3, a 70 kDa haemagglutinating protein, is a precursor form of HA3a and HA3b, the subcomponents of Clostridium botulinum type C 16S progenitor toxin. In this report, recombinant HA3 protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected to 2.6 Å resolution and the crystal belonged to the hexagonal space group P6{sub 3}. Matthews coefficient and self-rotation function calculations indicate that there is probably one molecule of HA3 in the asymmetric unit. A search for heavy-atom derivatives has been undertaken.

ALP gene expression in cDNA samples from bone tissue engineering using a HA/TCP/Chitosan scaffold

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanie, N.; Katarina, H.; Amir, L. R.; Gunawan, H. A.

2017-08-01

This study examined the potential use of hydroxyapatite (HA)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/Chitosan as a bone tissue engineering scaffold. The potential for using HA/TCP/chitosan as a scaffold was analyzed by measuring expression of the ALP osteogenic gene in cDNA from bone biopsies from four Macaque nemestrina. Experimental conditions included control (untreated), treatment with HA/TCP 70:30, HA/TCP 50:50, and HA/TCP/chitosan. cDNA samples were measured quantitively with Real-Time PCR (qPCR) and semi-quantitively by gel electrophoresis. There were no significant differences in ALP gene expression between treatment subjects after two weeks, but the HA/TCP/chitosan treatment gave the highest level of expression after four weeks. The scaffold using the HA/TCP/chitosan combination induced a higher level of expression of the osteogenic gene ALP than did scaffold without chitosan.

Oxidative Stress Posttranslationally Regulates the Expression of Ha-Ras and Ki-Ras in Cultured Astrocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Messina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Addition of hydrogen peroxide to cultured astrocytes induced a rapid and transient increase in the expression of Ha-Ras and Ki-Ras. Pull-down experiments with the GTP-Ras-binding domain of Raf-1 showed that oxidative stress substantially increased the activation of Ha-Ras, whereas a putative farnesylated activated form of Ki-Ras was only slightly increased. The increase in both Ha-Ras and Ki-Ras was insensitive to the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, and was occluded by the proteasomal inhibitor, MG-132. In addition, exposure to hydrogen peroxide reduced the levels of ubiquitinated Ras protein, indicating that oxidative stress leads to a reduced degradation of both isoforms through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. Indeed, the late reduction in Ha-Ras and Ki-Ras was due to a recovery of proteasomal degradation because it was sensitive to MG-132. The late reduction of Ha-Ras levels was abrogated by compound PD98059, which inhibits the MAP kinase pathway, whereas the late reduction of Ki-Ras was unaffected by PD98059. We conclude that oxidative stress differentially regulates the expression of Ha-Ras and Ki-Ras in cultured astrocytes, and that activation of the MAP kinase pathway by oxidative stress itself or by additional factors may act as a fail-safe mechanism limiting a sustained expression of the potentially detrimental Ha-Ras.

The use of acetone to enhance the infiltration of HA nanoparticles into a demineralized dentin collagen matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Besinis, Alexandros; van Noort, Richard; Martin, Nicolas

2016-03-01

This study investigates the role of acetone, as a carrier for nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) in solution, to enhance the infiltration of fully demineralized dentin with HA nanoparticles (NPs). Dentin specimens were fully demineralized and subsequently infiltrated with two types of water-based nano-HA solutions (one containing acetone and one without). Characterization of the dentin surfaces and nano-HA particles was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface wettability and infiltration capacity of the nano-HA solutions were quantified by means of contact angle measurements and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Contact angle measurements were taken at baseline and repeated at regular intervals to assess the effect of acetone. The P and Ca levels of infiltrated dentin specimens were measured and compared to sound dentin and non-infiltrated controls. The presence of acetone resulted in an eight-fold decrease in the contact angles of the nano-HA solutions recorded on the surface of demineralized dentin compared to nano-HA solutions without acetone (one-way ANOVA, pacetone. Infiltration of demineralized dentin with the nano-HA solution containing acetone restored the lost mineral content by 50%, whereas the mean mineralization values for P and Ca in dentin treated with the acetone-free nano-HA solution were less than 6%. Acetone was shown to act as a vehicle to enhance the capacity to infiltrate demineralized dentin with HA NPs. The successful infiltration of dentin collagen with HA NPs provides a suitable scaffold, whereby the infiltrated HA NPs have the potential to act as seeds that may initiate heterogenous mineral growth when exposed to an appropriate mineral-rich environment. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ha-DEF1, a sunflower defensin, induces cell death in Orobanche parasitic plants.

Science.gov (United States)

de Zélicourt, Axel; Letousey, Patricia; Thoiron, Séverine; Campion, Claire; Simoneau, Philippe; Elmorjani, Khalil; Marion, Didier; Simier, Philippe; Delavault, Philippe

2007-08-01

Plant defensins are small basic peptides of 5-10 kDa and most of them exhibit antifungal activity. In a sunflower resistant to broomrape, among the three defensin encoding cDNA identified, SF18, SD2 and HaDef1, only HaDef1 presented a preferential root expression pattern and was induced upon infection by the root parasitic plant Orobanche cumana. The amino acid sequence deduced from HaDef1 coding sequence was composed of an endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence of 28 amino acids, a standard defensin domain of 50 amino-acid residues and an unusual C-terminal domain of 30 amino acids with a net positive charge. A 5.8 kDa recombinant mature Ha-DEF1 corresponding to the defensin domain was produced in Escherichia coli and was purified by means of a two-step chromatography procedure, Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC) and Ion Exchange Chromatography. Investigation of in vitro antifungal activity of Ha-DEF1 showed a strong inhibition on Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth linked to a membrane permeabilization, and a morphogenetic activity on Alternaria brassicicola germ tube development, as already reported for some other plant defensins. Bioassays also revealed that Ha-DEF1 rapidly induced browning symptoms at the radicle apex of Orobanche seedlings but not of another parasitic plant, Striga hermonthica, nor of Arabidopsis thaliana. FDA vital staining showed that these browning areas corresponded to dead cells. These results demonstrate for the first time a lethal effect of defensins on plant cells. The potent mode of action of defensin in Orobanche cell death and the possible involvement in sunflower resistance are discussed.

Designing, preparing and evaluation of novel HA/Ti composite coating for endodontic dental implant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fathi MH.

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, application of implants as a new method for replacing extracted teeth have been improved. So, many researches have been performed for improving the characteristics of implants. The aim of this study was to design and produce a desired coating in order to obtaining two goals including; improvement of the corrosion behavior of metallic endodontic implant and the bone osseointegration simultaneously. Stainless steel 316L (SS, cobalt-chromium alloy (Vit and commercial pure titanium (cpTi were chosen as metallic substrates and hydroxyapatite coating (HAC were performed by plasma-spraying (PS process on three different substrates. A novel double layer Hydroxyapatite/Titanium (HA/Ti composite coating composed of a HA top layer and a Ti under layer was prepared using PS and physical vapor deposition (PVD process respectively on SS. Structural characterization techniques including XRD, SEM and EDX were utilized to investigate the microstructure, morpholgy and crystallinity of the coatings. Electrochemical potentiodynamic tests were performed in physiological solutions in order to determine and compare the corrosion behavior of the coated and uncoated specimens behavior as an indication of biocmpatibility. Results indicated that the cpTi possesses the highest and SS the lowest corrosion resistance (highest corrosion current density between uncoated substrates. This trend was independent to the type of physiological environment. The HA coating decreased the corrosion current density of HA coated metallic implants but did not change that trend. HAC acted as a mechanical barrier on the metallic substrate but could not prevent the interaction between metallic substrate and environment completely. The HA/Ti composite coating improved the corrosion behavior of SS. The corrosion current density of HA/Ti coated SS decreased and was exactly similar to single HA coated cpTi in physiological solutions. The results indicated that HA/Ti composite coated SS

Sequence diversity within the HA-1 gene as detected by melting temperature assay without oligonucleotide probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mattiuz Pier

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags are self-peptides derived from common cellular proteins and presented by MHC class I and II molecules. Disparities in mHags are a potential risk for the development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD in the recipients of bone marrow from HLA-identical donors. Two alleles have been identified in the mHag HA-1. The correlation between mismatches of the mHag HA-1 and GvHD has been suggested and methods to facilitate large-scale testing were afterwards developed. Methods We used sequence specific primer (SSP PCR and direct sequencing to detect HA-1 gene polymorphisms in a sample of 131 unrelated Italian subjects. We then set up a novel melting temperature (Tm assay that may help identification of HA-1 alleles without oligonucleotide probes. Results We report the frequencies of HA-1 alleles in the Italian population and the presence of an intronic 5 base-pair deletion associated with the immunogeneic allele HA-1H. We also detected novel variable sites with respect to the consensus sequence of HA-1 locus. Even though recombination/gene conversion events are documented, there is considerable linkage disequilibrium in the data. The gametic associations between HA-1R/H alleles and the intronic 5-bp ins/del polymorphism prompted us to try the Tm analysis with SYBR® Green I. We show that the addition of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO during the assay yields distinct patterns when amplicons from HA-1H homozygotes, HA-1R homozygotes, and heterozygotes are analysed. Conclusion The possibility to use SYBR® Green I to detect Tm differences between allelic variants is attractive but requires great caution. We succeeded in allele discrimination of the HA-1 locus using a relatively short (101 bp amplicon, only in the presence of DMSO. We believe that, at least in certain assets, Tm assays may benefit by the addition of DMSO or other agents affecting DNA strand conformation and stability.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of plasma sprayed HA/YSZ/Ti-6Al-4V composite coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Khor, K A; Gu, Y W; Pan, D; Cheang, P

2004-08-01

Plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on titanium alloy substrate have been used extensively due to their excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. However, the erratic bond strength between HA and Ti alloy has raised concern over the long-term reliability of the implant. In this paper, HA/yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/Ti-6Al-4V composite coatings that possess superior mechanical properties to conventional plasma sprayed HA coatings were developed. Ti-6Al-4V powders coated with fine YSZ and HA particles were prepared through a unique ceramic slurry mixing method. The so-formed composite powder was employed as feedstock for plasma spraying of the HA/YSZ/Ti-6Al-4V coatings. The influence of net plasma energy, plasma spray standoff distance, and post-spray heat treatment on microstructure, phase composition and mechanical properties were investigated. Results showed that coatings prepared with the optimum plasma sprayed condition showed a well-defined splat structure. HA/YSZ/Ti-6Al-4V solid solution was formed during plasma spraying which was beneficial for the improvement of mechanical properties. There was no evidence of Ti oxidation from the successful processing of YSZ and HA coated Ti-6Al-4V composite powders. Small amount of CaO apart from HA, ZrO(2) and Ti was present in the composite coatings. The microhardness, Young's modulus, fracture toughness, and bond strength increased significantly with the addition of YSZ. Post-spray heat treatment at 600 degrees C and 700 degrees C for up to 12h was found to further improve the mechanical properties of coatings. After the post-spray heat treatment, 17.6% increment in Young's modulus (E) and 16.3% increment in Vicker's hardness were achieved. The strengthening mechanisms of HA/YSZ/Ti-6Al-4V composite coatings were related to the dispersion strengthening by homogeneous distribution of YSZ particles in the matrix, the good mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V and the formation of solid solution among HA

Functionalized PCL/HA nanocomposites as microporous membranes for bone regeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basile, Maria Assunta; Gomez d' Ayala, Giovanna; Malinconico, Mario [Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli (Naples) (Italy); Laurienzo, Paola, E-mail: paola.laurienzo@ipcb.cnr.it [Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli (Naples) (Italy); Coudane, Jean; Nottelet, Benjamin [Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Artificial Biopolymers Group, CNRS UMR 5247, University of Montpellier 1, Faculty of Pharmacy, 15 Av. C. Flahault, Montpellier 34093 (France); Ragione, Fulvio Della [Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Second University of Naples, Via L. De Crecchio 7, Naples (Italy); Oliva, Adriana, E-mail: adriana.oliva@unina2.it [Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Second University of Naples, Via L. De Crecchio 7, Naples (Italy)

2015-03-01

In the present work, microporous membranes based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and PCL functionalized with amine (PCL-DMAEA) or anhydride groups (PCL-MAGMA) were realized by solvent–non solvent phase inversion and proposed for use in Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). Nanowhiskers of hydroxyapatite (HA) were also incorporated in the polymer matrix to realize nanocomposite membranes. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed improved interfacial adhesion with HA for functionalized polymers, and highlighted substantial differences in the porosity. A relationship between the developed porous structure of the membrane and the chemical nature of grafted groups was proposed. Compared to virgin PCL, hydrophilicity increases for functionalized PCL, while the addition of HA influences significantly the hydrophilic characteristics only in the case of virgin polymer. A significant increase of in vitro degradation rate was found for PCL-MAGMA based membranes, and at lower extent of PCL-DMAEA membranes. The novel materials were investigated regarding their potential as support for cell growth in bone repair using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) as a model. MSC plated onto the various membranes were analyzed in terms of adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic capacity that resulted to be related to chemical as well as porous structure. In particular, PCL-DMAEA and the relative nanocomposite membranes are the most promising in terms of cell-biomaterial interactions. - Graphical abstract: Functionalized PCL is used to realize nanocomposites with hydroxyapatite (HA) in the form of microporous membranes. The influence of different grafted groups on mechanical properties, in vitro degradation, porous membrane structure and interaction with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) is discussed. - Highlights: • Functionalized PCL shows faster in vitro degradation rate. • Functionalized PCL shows superior cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. • Nanocomposites based

Functionalized PCL/HA nanocomposites as microporous membranes for bone regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basile, Maria Assunta; Gomez d'Ayala, Giovanna; Malinconico, Mario; Laurienzo, Paola; Coudane, Jean; Nottelet, Benjamin; Ragione, Fulvio Della; Oliva, Adriana

2015-01-01

In the present work, microporous membranes based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and PCL functionalized with amine (PCL-DMAEA) or anhydride groups (PCL-MAGMA) were realized by solvent–non solvent phase inversion and proposed for use in Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). Nanowhiskers of hydroxyapatite (HA) were also incorporated in the polymer matrix to realize nanocomposite membranes. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed improved interfacial adhesion with HA for functionalized polymers, and highlighted substantial differences in the porosity. A relationship between the developed porous structure of the membrane and the chemical nature of grafted groups was proposed. Compared to virgin PCL, hydrophilicity increases for functionalized PCL, while the addition of HA influences significantly the hydrophilic characteristics only in the case of virgin polymer. A significant increase of in vitro degradation rate was found for PCL-MAGMA based membranes, and at lower extent of PCL-DMAEA membranes. The novel materials were investigated regarding their potential as support for cell growth in bone repair using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) as a model. MSC plated onto the various membranes were analyzed in terms of adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic capacity that resulted to be related to chemical as well as porous structure. In particular, PCL-DMAEA and the relative nanocomposite membranes are the most promising in terms of cell-biomaterial interactions. - Graphical abstract: Functionalized PCL is used to realize nanocomposites with hydroxyapatite (HA) in the form of microporous membranes. The influence of different grafted groups on mechanical properties, in vitro degradation, porous membrane structure and interaction with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) is discussed. - Highlights: • Functionalized PCL shows faster in vitro degradation rate. • Functionalized PCL shows superior cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. • Nanocomposites based

Avoimen lähdekoodin HA-tietokannat

OpenAIRE

Vartio, Sami

2014-01-01

Insinöörityössä perehdyttiin avoimen lähdekoodin periaatteisiin ja lisenssimalleihin sekä huomioitiin liiketaloudelliset lähtökohdat. Tavoitteena oli tutustua järjestelmän saatavuuteen sekä klusteroinnin periaatteisiin. Järjestelmän saatavuus (HA) on tietojärjestelmien suunnittelussa käytettävä käytäntö, joka pyrkii siihen että järjestelmä on aina käyttäjän käytettävissä. Aluksi käsiteltiin perustietoja sekä teoriaa. Tutkimuksen edetessä paneuduttiin laajemmin yleisimpiin avoimen lähdeko...

Clinical significance of determination of serum HA, PCIII and ADA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jing; Yu Fan; Zhao Changxin

2006-01-01

Objective: To explore the changes of serum HA, PCIII and ADA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Serum HA, PCIII and ADA levels were detected with RIA in 42 cases with chronic hepatitis C and 35 controls. Results: The levels of serum HA, PC III and ADA in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Serum HA, PC m and ADA levels were positive correlated (r=0.6178, 0.6211, P<0.01). Conclusion: The results suggested the serum HA, PC m and ADA levels can reflect the degree of hepatic injury in the patients with cirrhosis, detection of serum HA, PC m and ADA levels is helpful in estimating the status of the disease. (authors)

Vaccine-induced anti-HA2 antibodies promote virus fusion and enhance influenza virus respiratory disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurana, Surender; Loving, Crystal L; Manischewitz, Jody; King, Lisa R; Gauger, Phillip C; Henningson, Jamie; Vincent, Amy L; Golding, Hana

2013-08-28

Vaccine-induced disease enhancement has been described in connection with several viral vaccines in animal models and in humans. We investigated a swine model to evaluate mismatched influenza vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD) after pH1N1 infection. Vaccinating pigs with whole inactivated H1N2 (human-like) virus vaccine (WIV-H1N2) resulted in enhanced pneumonia and disease after pH1N1 infection. WIV-H1N2 immune sera contained high titers of cross-reactive anti-pH1N1 hemagglutinin (HA) antibodies that bound exclusively to the HA2 domain but not to the HA1 globular head. No hemagglutination inhibition titers against pH1N1 (challenge virus) were measured. Epitope mapping using phage display library identified the immunodominant epitope recognized by WIV-H1N2 immune sera as amino acids 32 to 77 of pH1N1-HA2 domain, close to the fusion peptide. These cross-reactive anti-HA2 antibodies enhanced pH1N1 infection of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells by promoting virus membrane fusion activity. The enhanced fusion activity correlated with lung pathology in pigs. This study suggests a role for fusion-enhancing anti-HA2 antibodies in VAERD, in the absence of receptor-blocking virus-neutralizing antibodies. These findings should be considered during the evaluation of universal influenza vaccines designed to elicit HA2 stem-targeting antibodies.

Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of HDPE/HA Compounds Irradiated with Sterilization Doses of Gamma Rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albano, C.

2006-01-01

The objective of this work was to study the isothermal crystallization of High Density Polyethylene/Hydroxyapatite nanocomposites, with 2 and 5 ppc of HA, irradiated with 25 kGy (sterilization dose) of γ-Ray from a 60 C o source, at a rate of 4.8 kGy/h in air and at room temperature. The selected crystallization temperatures were 118, 117, 116 and 115 degree. The crystallization kinetics was analyzed using the Avrami's model whose parameters were optimized using a non-linear regression technique. Regression results show that the Avrami exponent varies between 1.8 and 1.5, meaning that the spherulitic growth is mainly two dimensional. Values for specific crystallization constant 'k' were found to be higher for HDPE/HA compounds than for pure HDPE, clearly indicating the presence of an HA nucleation effect. It was also observed that values for the specific crystallization constant 'k' decreases with increasing temperatures, being this effect more noticeable for HDPE/HA compounds than for pure HDPE. Regarding to irradiated samples, their 'k' values were found to be lower than those for non irradiated samples, the difference getting more significant with decreasing crystallization temperature. Simulation of experimental data with the Avrami's model show a clear influence of the crystallization temperature, the HA content in the sample and the amount of applied radiation. It was also observed that the Avrami model correlates satisfactorily experimental data for not irradiated samples of pure HDPE and HDPE/HA compounds at the highest crystallization (T c ). However, as the crystallization temperature decreases, the values simulated with the Avrami model increasingly deviate from experimental data, specifically at the highest values of the relative crystallinity. This effect is even stronger on irradiated samples of HDPE and HDPE/HA compounds

Development and characterization of poli composites (ether ether ketone)(PEEK)(Hydroxyapatite(HA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, V.P.; Santos, F.S.F.; Sa, M.D. de; Fook, M.V.L.

2016-01-01

The objective of this work was to develop PEEK / HA composites, combining the biological activity of the ceramic phase with the properties of the polymer phase, the materials used in this research were Poly (ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) and Hydroxyapatite (HA) (50, 60, 70 and 80% m / v HA), this material was subjected to a load of two tons followed by a thermal treatment at 390 ° for a period of 30 minutes. Then they were characterized by FTIR, DRX and MO. In the physical-chemical characterization of FTIR and XRD, it was not possible to identify significant alterations. In the FTIR spectra of the composites, there is no formation of new identifiable chemical bonds. In the composites XRD diffractograms a profile similar to the ceramic phase was observed, with peaks increasing in intensity and narrowing proportional to the increase of the hydroxyapatite concentration in the composites. In optical microscopy it is possible to observe surfaces with heterogeneous morphology, with signs of roughness and in the cross section we observe a heterogeneous aspect, rich in regions with large agglomerates and lighter particles. Considering the processing aspects, the technique proved to be effective for the development of PEEK /HA composites. (author)

Porous HA-Al2O3 composite characterization using corn starch as a porogen agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, L.A.J. da; Galdino, A.G.S.; Cardoso, G.B.C.; Zavaglia, C.A.C.

2011-01-01

The porous ceramics based on hydroxyapatite have great potential for application in bone grafts due to its chemical similarity with the mineral phase of bone tissue, but have poor biomechanical properties, which cause limitations in its applications. This work aims to analyze the structural characteristics of porous ceramics obtained by addition of hydroxyapatite (HA, sintered in the laboratory), Corn Starch (CS, commercial) and Al 2 O 3 (ALCOA), at different temperatures. Samples were made of dense HA (100% HA), porous (70% HA - 30% CS) and with addition of 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% Al 2 O 3 porous composition. The samples were sintered at 1250°C, 1300 deg C and 135 0°C and characterized by: XRF, XRD, SEM and density by the Archimedes method. Concludes It is the possibility of obtaining samples porous HA / Al 2 O 3 using starch as porogenic agent. The temperature and concentration of Al 2 O 3 most appropriate were: 1250°C and 7.5%. (author)

Study of the gamma irradiation effects on the PMMA/HA and PMMA/SW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, P., E-mail: silva@ivic.v [Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centro de Fisica, Carretera Panamericana Km. 11, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Albano, C. [Universidad Central de Venezuela, Facultad de Ingenieria (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centro de Quimica (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Perera, R. [Departamento de Mecanica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas 1080-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Dominguez, N. [Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centro de Quimica (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

2010-03-15

The behavior of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) under the action of gamma radiation has been sufficiently studied. In this work, we present results from melt flow index (MFI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of PMMA composites with hydroxyapatite (HA) and seaweed residues (SW) irradiated with gamma rays at 1.08 kGy/h. Composites of PMMA/HA and PMMA/SW with 10%, 20% and 30% of the filler were prepared. The results show an increase in the MFI values with the integral dose of radiation, being consistent with chain-scission reactions. No EPR signal was observed in pure PMMA, while in the composites, the typical EPR signal of the PMMA radicals was observed, which increased with the amount of HA or SW. When comparing the relative intensities of the EPR signals for both types of composites, a slight increase in the concentration of free radicals generated in the sample with SW respect to that of PMMA/HA composite was obtained. A decay of the total free radical concentration was observed as time elapsed.

Does PEEK/HA Enhance Bone Formation Compared With PEEK in a Sheep Cervical Fusion Model?

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, William R; Pelletier, Matthew H; Bertollo, Nicky; Christou, Chris; Tan, Chris

2016-11-01

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has a wide range of clinical applications but does not directly bond to bone. Bulk incorporation of osteoconductive materials including hydroxyapatite (HA) into the PEEK matrix is a potential solution to address the formation of a fibrous tissue layer between PEEK and bone and has not been tested. Using in vivo ovine animal models, we asked: (1) Does PEEK-HA improve cortical and cancellous bone ongrowth compared with PEEK? (2) Does PEEK-HA improve bone ongrowth and fusion outcome in a more challenging functional ovine cervical fusion model? The in vivo responses of PEEK-HA Enhanced and PEEK-OPTIMA ® Natural were evaluated for bone ongrowth in the form of dowels implanted in the cancellous and cortical bone of adult sheep and examined at 4 and 12 weeks as well as interbody cervical fusion at 6, 12, and 26 weeks. The bone-implant interface was evaluated with radiographic and histologic endpoints for a qualitative assessment of direct bone contact of an intervening fibrous tissue later. Gamma-irradiated cortical allograft cages were evaluated as well. Incorporating HA into the PEEK matrix resulted in more direct bone apposition as opposed to the fibrous tissue interface with PEEK alone in the bone ongrowth as well as interbody cervical fusions. No adverse reactions were found at the implant-bone interface for either material. Radiography and histology revealed resorption and fracture of the allograft devices in vivo. Incorporating HA into PEEK provides a more favorable environment than PEEK alone for bone ongrowth. Cervical fusion was improved with PEEK-HA compared with PEEK alone as well as allograft bone interbody devices. Improving the bone-implant interface with a PEEK device by incorporating HA may improve interbody fusion results and requires further clinical studies.

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2017-08-08

Aug 8, 2017 ... systems of vehicle power units are the main source of both external and internal noise of ... Let's analyze the methods of automobile engine noise reduction. ..... Heckl M., Müller H.A. Reference book on technical acoustics.

High Altitude Affects Nocturnal Non-linear Heart Rate Variability: PATCH-HA Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J. Boos

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: High altitude (HA exposure can lead to changes in resting heart rate variability (HRV, which may be linked to acute mountain sickness (AMS development. Compared with traditional HRV measures, non-linear HRV appears to offer incremental and prognostic data, yet its utility and relationship to AMS have been barely examined at HA. This study sought to examine this relationship at terrestrial HA.Methods: Sixteen healthy British military servicemen were studied at baseline (800 m, first night and over eight consecutive nights, at a sleeping altitude of up to 3600 m. A disposable cardiac patch monitor was used, to record the nocturnal cardiac inter-beat interval data, over 1 h (0200–0300 h, for offline HRV assessment. Non-linear HRV measures included Sample entropy (SampEn, the short (α1, 4–12 beats and long-term (α2, 13–64 beats detrend fluctuation analysis slope and the correlation dimension (D2. The maximal rating of perceived exertion (RPE, during daily exercise, was assessed using the Borg 6–20 RPE scale.Results: All subjects completed the HA exposure. The average age of included subjects was 31.4 ± 8.1 years. HA led to a significant fall in SpO2 and increase in heart rate, LLS and RPE. There were no significant changes in the ECG-derived respiratory rate or in any of the time domain measures of HRV during sleep. The only notable changes in frequency domain measures of HRV were an increase in LF and fall in HFnu power at the highest altitude. Conversely, SampEn, SD1/SD2 and D2 all fell, whereas α1 and α2 increased (p < 0.05. RPE inversely correlated with SD1/SD2 (r = -0.31; p = 0.002, SampEn (r = -0.22; p = 0.03, HFnu (r = -0.27; p = 0.007 and positively correlated with LF (r = 0.24; p = 0.02, LF/HF (r = 0.24; p = 0.02, α1 (r = 0.32; p = 0.002 and α2 (r = 0.21; p = 0.04. AMS occurred in 7/16 subjects (43.8% and was very mild in 85.7% of cases. HRV failed to predict AMS.Conclusion: Non-linear HRV is more sensitive to the

Propuesta de un modelo para mejorar la eficiencia en el control de gestión de los servicios públicos municipales en México

OpenAIRE

Israel Patiño Galvan; Concepción Herrera Alcázar; J. Jesús Ceja Pizano

2013-01-01

El control de gestión de los servicios públicos municipales en México, se ha desarrollado bajo esquemas normativos que regulan y limitan su funcionamiento y cobertura, los cuales últimamente se han visto superados por el aumento en el número de habitantes, en la cobertura, y finalmente en el volumen de información que es almacenada en documentos. Otro factor que ha adquirido importancia ha sido el auge de la tecnología que presiona de sobre manera su utilización, y la administración publica...

Understanding the undelaying mechanism of HA-subtyping in the level of physic-chemical characteristics of protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi, Mansour; Aghagolzadeh, Parisa; Shamabadi, Narges; Tahmasebi, Ahmad; Alsharifi, Mohammed; Adelson, David L; Hemmatzadeh, Farhid; Ebrahimie, Esmaeil

2014-01-01

The evolution of the influenza A virus to increase its host range is a major concern worldwide. Molecular mechanisms of increasing host range are largely unknown. Influenza surface proteins play determining roles in reorganization of host-sialic acid receptors and host range. In an attempt to uncover the physic-chemical attributes which govern HA subtyping, we performed a large scale functional analysis of over 7000 sequences of 16 different HA subtypes. Large number (896) of physic-chemical protein characteristics were calculated for each HA sequence. Then, 10 different attribute weighting algorithms were used to find the key characteristics distinguishing HA subtypes. Furthermore, to discover machine leaning models which can predict HA subtypes, various Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Neural Network models were trained on calculated protein characteristics dataset as well as 10 trimmed datasets generated by attribute weighting algorithms. The prediction accuracies of the machine learning methods were evaluated by 10-fold cross validation. The results highlighted the frequency of Gln (selected by 80% of attribute weighting algorithms), percentage/frequency of Tyr, percentage of Cys, and frequencies of Try and Glu (selected by 70% of attribute weighting algorithms) as the key features that are associated with HA subtyping. Random Forest tree induction algorithm and RBF kernel function of SVM (scaled by grid search) showed high accuracy of 98% in clustering and predicting HA subtypes based on protein attributes. Decision tree models were successful in monitoring the short mutation/reassortment paths by which influenza virus can gain the key protein structure of another HA subtype and increase its host range in a short period of time with less energy consumption. Extracting and mining a large number of amino acid attributes of HA subtypes of influenza A virus through supervised algorithms represent a new avenue for understanding and

Understanding the undelaying mechanism of HA-subtyping in the level of physic-chemical characteristics of protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansour Ebrahimi

Full Text Available The evolution of the influenza A virus to increase its host range is a major concern worldwide. Molecular mechanisms of increasing host range are largely unknown. Influenza surface proteins play determining roles in reorganization of host-sialic acid receptors and host range. In an attempt to uncover the physic-chemical attributes which govern HA subtyping, we performed a large scale functional analysis of over 7000 sequences of 16 different HA subtypes. Large number (896 of physic-chemical protein characteristics were calculated for each HA sequence. Then, 10 different attribute weighting algorithms were used to find the key characteristics distinguishing HA subtypes. Furthermore, to discover machine leaning models which can predict HA subtypes, various Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Neural Network models were trained on calculated protein characteristics dataset as well as 10 trimmed datasets generated by attribute weighting algorithms. The prediction accuracies of the machine learning methods were evaluated by 10-fold cross validation. The results highlighted the frequency of Gln (selected by 80% of attribute weighting algorithms, percentage/frequency of Tyr, percentage of Cys, and frequencies of Try and Glu (selected by 70% of attribute weighting algorithms as the key features that are associated with HA subtyping. Random Forest tree induction algorithm and RBF kernel function of SVM (scaled by grid search showed high accuracy of 98% in clustering and predicting HA subtypes based on protein attributes. Decision tree models were successful in monitoring the short mutation/reassortment paths by which influenza virus can gain the key protein structure of another HA subtype and increase its host range in a short period of time with less energy consumption. Extracting and mining a large number of amino acid attributes of HA subtypes of influenza A virus through supervised algorithms represent a new avenue for

Consolidation de centres de recherche sur la reconstruction en Haïti ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Haïti doit encore relever des défis de taille en ce qui a trait à l'édification de l'État et à la démocratisation. Un groupe de pays latino-américains assume un rôle de premier plan au sein des forces de maintien de la paix coordonnées par la Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti (MINUSTAH). L'efficacité de ...

Mechanical properties of titanium-hydroxyapatite (Ti-HA) composite coating on stainless steel prepared by thermal spraying

Science.gov (United States)

Rosmamuhamadani, R.; Azhar, N. H.; Talari, M. K.; Yahaya, Sabrina M.; Sulaiman, S.; Ismail, M. I. S.

2017-09-01

Addition of hydroxyapatite (HA) can enhance the bioactivity of the common metallic implant due to its similarity with natural bones and teeth. In this investigation, high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOFT) technique was used to deposit titanium-hydroxyapatite (Ti-HA) composite on stainless steel substrate plate with different percentage of HA for biomedical applications. The aim of this research is to investigate the mechanical properties of Ti-HA coating such as hardness, adhesion strength and wear behaviour. The hardness and strength was determined by using SHIMADZU-microhardness Vickers tester and PosiTest AT portable adhesion tester respectively. The wear test was performed by using pin-on-disk equipment and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) used to determine the extent of surface damage. From the results obtained, mechanical properties such as hardness and adhesion strength of titanium (Ti) coating decreased with the increased of HA contents. Meanwhile, the coefficient of friction of Ti-10% HA coating shows the highest value compare to others as three-body abrasion had occurred during the test.

Magneto-optical and catalytic properties of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@Ag magnetic nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amir, Md., E-mail: mdamir01031001@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Fatih University, 34500 B.Çekmece-İstanbul, Turkey (Turkey); Bio & Nanotechnology Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Istanbul University, 34452 Beyazıt/Fatih-İstanbul (Turkey); Güner, S. [Department of Physics, Fatih University, 34500 B.Çekmece-İstanbul, Turkey (Turkey); Yıldız, A. [Department of Textile Engineering, Namık Kemal University, 59860 Çorlu-Tekirdağ, Turkey (Turkey); Baykal, A. [Department of Chemistry, Fatih University, 34500 B.Çekmece-İstanbul, Turkey (Turkey)

2017-01-01

Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@Ag magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) were successfully synthesized by the simple reflux method for the removal of azo dyes from the industrial aqueous media. Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@AgMNCs exhibited high catalytic activity to reduce MB within 20 min from the waste water. The obtained materials were characterized by the means of different techniques. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the single-phase of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} spinel structure. SEM and TEM analysis indicated that Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@AgMNCs were nanoparticles like structure with small agglomeration. TG result showed that the products contained 9% of HA. The characteristic peaks of HA at 1601 cm{sup −1} and 1703 cm{sup −1} was observed by the means of FT-IR spectra of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@AgMNCs. The hysteresis (σ–H) curves revealed Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@Ag MNCs exhibit a typical superparamagnetic characteristic with a saturation magnetization of 59.11 emu/g and measured magnetic moment is 2.45 µ{sub B}. The average magnetic particle dimension (D{sub mag}) is 13.25 nm. In accordance, the average crystallite and particle dimensions were obtained as 11.50 nm and 13.10 nm from XRD and TEM measurements, respectively. Magnetocrystalline anisotropy was offered as uniaxial and calculated effective anisotropy constant (K{sub eff}) is 2.96×10{sup 5} Erg/g. The blocking temperature was estimated as 522 K. The size-dependent saturation magnetization suggests the existence of a magnetically dead layer as 0.793 nm for Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@Ag MNCs. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Kubelka–Munk theory were applied to determine the optical properties of powder samples. The direct optical energy band gap (E{sub g}) values were estimated from Tauc plots between 1.62 eV and 2.12 eV. - Graphical abstract: An illustration for the fabrication of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@HA@Ag MNCs. - Highlights: • The reduction of azo dye such Methylene Blue was instantly completed with

Luces y sombras de la comunicación del Real Madrid CF. Reflexiones desde el periodismo deportivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Olabe Sánchez

2015-01-01

Full Text Available La influencia en el entorno, las exigencias financieras y una concepción global de la gestión empresarial han originado un cambio en el modelo comunicativo del Real Madrid CF, en lo tocante a su relación con sus stakeholders y en especial con los periodistas deportivos. Se aplicó una metodología cualitativa, una revisión bibliográfica y de información secundaria de fuentes y entrevistas mediante cuestionario a periodistas que cubren la información del club. Los resultados muestran que la gestión comunicativa del club equipara a los periodistas con otros públicos objetivos y que el Departamento de Comunicación se ha convertido en un mecanismo de control que limita el acceso a la información, fiscaliza la información dirigida a los medios y entorpece la labor de los periodistas. En consecuencia, advertimos que las relaciones personales entre ambos actores se han deteriorado y que el comportamiento comunicativo del Club se homogeneiza con sus homólogos de otras competiciones europeas.

Antibiotic-containing hyaluronic acid gel as an antibacterial carrier: Usefulness of sponge and film-formed HA gel in deep infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuno, Hiroaki; Yudoh, Kazuo; Hashimoto, Masamichi; Himeda, Yasukazu; Miyoshi, Teruzo; Yoshida, Kaoru; Kano, Syogo

2006-03-01

We have developed a novel bioabsorbable antibacterial carrier using hyaluronic acid (HA) gel for prevention and treatment of orthopedic infections. In this study, we investigated the in vivo antibacterial effects of two forms of this new material, an HA gel sponge and an HA gel film. A titanium cylinder was inserted into the intramedullary cavity of each rabbit femur, along with an HA gel sponge or HA gel film containing antibiotics. The HA gel sponge contained gentamycin, vancomycin, tobramycin, or minomycin. The HA gel film contained gentamycin or vancomycin. After 0, 7, and 14 days, the rabbit bone marrow was collected, and the antibacterial activity of the HA gel was determined by agar diffusion test. As a control, we used Septocoll, a commercially available antibacterial carrier. Both the HA gel sponge and HA gel film exhibited antibacterial activity. The present results indicate that HA gel containing antibiotics is a clinically useful bioabsorbable antibacterial carrier. Copyright 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society.

Bone Tissue Response to Nano-HA-ZrO2 Compound Bioceramics%纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷与骨缺损断面的结合性能观察

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

孟志兵; 唐月军; 郭军; 吕春堂; 周中华

2013-01-01

目的:观察纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷植入体与骨断面的结合情况.方法:12只健康成年新西兰大白兔,双侧下颌骨制备洞穿性骨缺损,一侧植入纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷,对侧植入HA(羟基磷灰石)材料,4、8、12周时取材,进行X线摄片观察、材料顶出实验、硬组织切片,比较观察2组骨与材料界面结合情况.结果:X线片和硬组织切片观察结果显示4、8周时HA-ZrO2、HA和骨断面结合不良,12周时发现两种材料均和骨断面结合良好,少部分区域有纤维组织包绕.4、8、12周纳米增韧HA-ZrO2组抗剪切强度分别为(2.36±1.04)、(10.65±1.48)和(30.95±3.67)MPa,不同时间段的组内差异有统计学意义;4、8、12周HA组抗剪切强度分别为(2.27±1.12)、(12.33±1.57)和(31.05±3.44)MPa,不同时间段组内比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);但同时间段的结果组间比较,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:初步认为纳米增韧HA-ZrO2生物陶瓷和骨断面,可以取得与HA类似的较好结合,但是如何在尽量短的时间内使其与骨断面完全结合,还需要进一步的研究.%Objective:The purpose of the present study was to observe the combination of the interface between nanoHA-ZrO2 compound bioceramics and bone tissue.Methods:12 healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were used in the study.Nano-HA-ZrO2 compound bioceramics were placed in one side of the mandible.On the other side,HA were placed as control.Animals were sacrificed at 4、8、12 weeks after operation,histological sections and the interface shear strength were evaluated.X-ray examination were also performed to observe the interface between the bone,nano-HA-ZrO2,and HA bioceramics materials.Results:Hard tissue section and X-rays examination showed a good interface osseointegration appeared at 12 weeks in nano-HA-ZrO2 ceramic group,as well as in HA group.Fibrous tissue manifested in some areas of the interface.Incomplete osseointegration were shown in the

Improving natural resource management in Viet Nam's Hong Ha ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-07-15

Jul 15, 2011 ... Improving natural resource management in Viet Nam's Hong Ha commune ... In this work, the research team helped local farmers improve their land ... with a home garden economy, limit forest destruction, diversify crop production, ... low female participation rates in decision making; limited education; rapid ...

Jom ha-Šo'a...počátky jednoho svátku

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbyněk Tarant

2011-12-01

Full Text Available If one looks at the calendar, one will find there 'International Holocaust Rememberance Day' on 27th of January. This day was set by the UN General Assembly in 2005 and it refers to the anniversary of Auschwitz liberation. However, if one looks at the Israeli calendar, or any of the Jewish Luakh haShannah's, one will find there another day of mourning that is actually far older. The Yom HaShoah was set according to the Hebrew calendar and refers not to the liberation of Auschwitz, but to the Warsaw ghetto uprising. Today, this day of mourning is an interesting relict of the pioneer, upbuilding era that preferred the stories of heroes to those of victims. This article attempts to map the very beginning of the Yom HaShoah commemoration, by using Hebrew sources that were never published before in the Czech language. The story of Yom HaShoah in the context of the young state of Israel in the 1950s is an interesting case-study on the issue of how the contemporary political and public discourse affects the collective memory of  future generations.

DEMENCIA FRONTOTEMPORAL, CÓMO HA RESURGIDO SU DIAGNÓSTICO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Lillo Z, MD, PhD

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Desde la descripción inicial efectuada por Pick hace más de un siglo atrás, el interés por las demencias frontotemporales ha tenido un gran crecimiento. Gracias a los avances de las neuroimágenes y el desarrollo de biomarcadores, el progreso en este campo ha generado nuevos conocimientos en torno a la categorización clínica, correlatos neuronales de las funciones cerebrales superiores y mecanismos de neurodegeneración. Paradójicamente, estos avances han traído consigo cierta controversia y desafíos, los cuales han motivado la creación de nuevos criterios diagnósticos. Esta breve revisión muestra la evolución histórica de estas condiciones y describe los criterios diagnósticos actuales para la variante conductual y las afasias progresivas primarias, que son las dos formas clínicas de las demencias frontotemporales.

Aplicación Móvil de Realidad Aumentada para la Enseñanza de la Clasificación de los Seres Vivos a Niños de Tercer Grado

A Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Teaching the Classification of Living Things to Primary School’s Children

OpenAIRE

Cesar Augusto Solano; Johan Fabiel Casas Díaz; Juan Carlos Guevara Bolaños

2015-01-01

Las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC) ha tenido un gran auge en lo los últimos años y es debido a este auge que se han ido introduciendo en el aula de clase con resultados prometedores. Por esta razón es indispensable crear herramientas innovadoras que fortalezcan los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de los estudiantes, además de motivarlos a usar este tipo de herramientas tanto dentro como fuera del aula. El presente documento tiene como objetivo presentar al lector...

Functional study of the novel multidrug resistance gene HA117 and its comparison to multidrug resistance gene 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Tingfu

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The novel gene HA117 is a multidrug resistance (MDR gene expressed by all-trans retinoic acid-resistant HL-60 cells. In the present study, we compared the multidrug resistance of the HA117 with that of the classical multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1 in breast cancer cell line 4T1. Methods Transduction of the breast cancer cell line 4T1 with adenoviral vectors encoding the HA117 gene and the green fluorescence protein gene (GFP (Ad-GFP-HA117, the MDR1 and GFP (Ad-GFP-MDR1 or GFP (Ad-GFP was respectively carried out. The transduction efficiency and the multiplicity of infection (MOI were detected by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry. The transcription of HA117 gene and MDR1 gene were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. Western blotting analysis was used to detect the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp but the expression of HA117 could not be analyzed as it is a novel gene and its antibody has not yet been synthesized. The drug-excretion activity of HA117 and MDR1 were determined by daunorubicin (DNR efflux assay. The drug sensitivities of 4T1/HA117 and 4T1/MDR1 to chemotherapeutic agents were detected by Methyl-Thiazolyl-Tetrazolium (MTT assay. Results The transducted efficiency of Ad-GFP-HA117 and Ad-GFP-MDR1 were 75%-80% when MOI was equal to 50. The transduction of Ad-GFP-HA117 and Ad-GFP-MDR1 could increase the expression of HA117 and MDR1. The drug resistance index to Adriamycin (ADM, vincristine (VCR, paclitaxel (Taxol and bleomycin (BLM increased to19.8050, 9.0663, 9.7245, 3.5650 respectively for 4T1/HA117 and 24.2236, 11.0480, 11.3741, 0.9630 respectively for 4T1/MDR1 as compared to the control cells. There were no significant differences in drug sensitivity between 4T1/HA117 and 4T1/MDR1 for the P-gp substrates (ADM, VCR and Taxol (P Conclusions These results confirm that HA117 is a strong MDR gene in both HL-60 and 4T1 cells. Furthermore, our results indicate that the MDR

Sugar-binding sites of the HA1 subcomponent of Clostridium botulinum type C progenitor toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Toshio; Tonozuka, Takashi; Ide, Azusa; Yuzawa, Takayuki; Oguma, Keiji; Nishikawa, Atsushi

2008-02-22

Clostridium botulinum type C 16S progenitor toxin contains a hemagglutinin (HA) subcomponent, designated HA1, which appears to play an important role in the effective internalization of the toxin in gastrointestinal epithelial cells and in creating a broad specificity for the oligosaccharide structure that corresponds to various targets. In this study, using the recombinant protein fused to glutathione S-transferase, we investigated the binding specificity of the HA1 subcomponent to sugars and estimated the binding sites of HA1 based on X-ray crystallography and soaking experiments using various sugars. N-Acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose effectively inhibited the binding that occurs between glutathione S-transferase-HA1 and mucins, whereas N-acetylglucosamine and glucose did not inhibit it. The crystal structures of HA1 complex with N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose were also determined. There are two sugar-binding sites, sites I and II. Site I corresponds to the electron densities noted for all sugars and is located at the C-terminal beta-trefoil domain, while site II corresponds to the electron densities noted only for galactose. An aromatic amino acid residue, Trp176, at site I has a stacking interaction with the hexose ring of the sugars. On the other hand, there is no aromatic residue at site II; thus, the interaction with galactose seems to be poor. The double mutant W176A at site I and D271F at site II has no avidity for N-acetylneuraminic acid but has avidity for galactose. In this report, the binding specificity of botulinum C16S toxin HA1 to various sugars is demonstrated based on its structural features.

Serum expression of HA and LN in lewis rat models of autoimmune myocarditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Li'na; Li Tieling; Zhang Yajing; Yang Tingshu; Ding Yu; Guo Shuli; Zhao Xiaoning

2011-01-01

Objective: To study the clinical significance of dynamic changes of serum expressions of hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin (LN) in Lewis rat models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). Methods: Fifty Lewis rat models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) were established with injection of recombinant cardiac C protein with complete freund adjuvant into two foot-pads plus intraperitoneal injection of pertussis toxin. At 1w, 2w, 4w, 6w and 8w, 10 models were sacrificed each time;cardiac tissues were examined with HE stain for myocardial inflammatory score and examined with picrosirius red stain for myocardial fibrosis score, also, serum HA and LN expressions were determined with RIA. These examinations were performed in 10 undisturbed animals as controls. Results: The myocardial inflammatory scores of the models at 1w were about the same as those in the controls, but the scores rapidly increased from 2w on to 4w then fell gradually. The myocardial fibrosis scores of the models at 1wk were also not much different from those in controls. The fibrosis scores increased rapidly at 4w and maintained at high level up to 8w. The changes of serum expressions of HA and LN roughly paralleled those of myocardial fibrosis scores i. e. rapidly increased at 4w up to 8w. Conclusion: Serum expressions of HA and LN could faithfully reflect the degree of myocardial fibrosis in rat models of EAM. HA and LN were useful markers of myocardial fibrois and were of prognostic importance. (authors)

3D-printed scaffolds based on PLA/HA nanocomposites for trabecular bone reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Niaza, K. V.; Senatov, F. S.; Kaloshkin, S. D.; Maksimkin, A. V.; Chukov, D. I.

2016-08-01

In the present work porous PLA scaffolds filled with micro- and nano- HA were studied. Both composites with micro- and nano-HA were obtained by extrusion in the same conditions. Scaffolds were obtained by 3D-printing by fused filament fabrication method. Structure of porous scaffolds was pre-modeled by computer software. Compression and three - point flexural tests were used to study mechanical properties of the scaffolds.

Role of induced glutathione-S-transferase from Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) HaGST-8 in detoxification of pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

Labade, Chaitali P; Jadhav, Abhilash R; Ahire, Mehul; Zinjarde, Smita S; Tamhane, Vaijayanti A

2018-01-01

The present study deals with glutathione-S-transferase (GST) based detoxification of pesticides in Helicoverpa armigera and its potential application in eliminating pesticides from the environment. Dietary exposure of a pesticide mixture (organophosphates - chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos, pyrethroid - cypermethrin; 2-15ppm each) to H. armigera larvae resulted in a dose dependant up-regulation of GST activity and gene expression. A variant GST from H. armigera (HaGST-8) was isolated from larvae fed with 10ppm pesticide mixture and it was recombinantly expressed in yeast (Pichia pastoris HaGST-8). HaGST-8 had a molecular mass of 29kDa and was most active at pH 9 at 30°C. GC-MS and LC-HRMS analysis validated that HaGST-8 was effective in eliminating organophosphate type of pesticides and partially reduced the cypermethrin content (53%) from aqueous solutions. Unlike the untransformed yeast, P. pastoris HaGST-8 grew efficiently in media supplemented with pesticide mixtures (200 and 400ppm each pesticide) signifying the detoxification ability of HaGST-8. The amino acid sequence of HaGST-8 and the already reported sequence of HaGST-7 had just 2 mismatches. The studies on molecular interaction strengths revealed that HaGST-8 had stronger binding affinities with organophosphate, pyrethroid, organochloride, carbamate and neonicotinoid type of pesticides. The abilities of recombinant HaGST-8 to eliminate pesticides and P. pastoris HaGST-8 to grow profusely in the presence of high level of pesticide content can be applied for removal of such residues from food, water resources and bioremediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bør leger ha reservasjonsrett ved assistert befruktning?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Magelssen

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Omfanget av helsepersonells reservasjonsrett har nylig vært gjenstand for debatt i Norge. Vi spør om leger bør ha reservasjonsrett ved utførelse og henvisning til assistert befruktning, og drøfter argumenter for og imot ved hjelp av et rammeverk med sju kriterier for vurdering av reservasjon. Reservasjonsrettens grunnleggende dilemma er hvordan to viktige hensyn, henholdsvis pasientens rett til behandling og hensynet til helsepersonellets moralske integritet, best kan ivaretas. Det argumenteres for at leger bør ha rett til å reservere seg mot å utføre, assistere ved og henvise til assistert befruktning generelt hvis begrunnelsen er hensynet til befruktede eggs moralske verdi. Videre finner vi at leger også kan ha en moralsk rett til reservasjon mot å utføre, assistere ved og henvise til assistert befruktning for likekjønnede, men da på nærmere spesifiserte vilkår.Nøkkelord: reservasjonsrett, assistert befruktning, samvittighet, moralsk integritetEnglish summary: Should physicians have the right to conscientiously object to assisted reproduction?The extent of the healthcare worker's right to conscientious objection has recently been debated in Norway. This article asks whether physicians should have a right to conscientious objection to the performance of, and referral for, assisted reproduction, and discusses arguments for and against the same, utilizing a framework of seven criteria for the evaluation of conscientious objection. The fundamental dilemma of conscientious objection is how two important considerations can be reconciled: the patient's right to treatment, and the protection of the healthcare worker's moral integrity. It is argued that physicians should have the right to object to performing, assisting with, and referring for assisted reproduction generally when the objection is grounded in the moral value of the embryo. Furthermore, physicians may also have a moral right to object to performing, assisting with, and

A single sequence context cannot satisfy all non-AUG initiator codons in yeast†

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Tzu-Ling

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that ALA1 (encoding alanyl-tRNA synthetase and GRS1 (encoding glycyl-tRNA synthetase respectively use ACG and TTG as their alternative translation initiator codons. To explore if any other non-ATG triplets can act as initiator codons in yeast, ALA1 was used as a reporter for screening. Results We show herein that except for AAG and AGG, all triplets that differ from ATG by a single nucleotide were able to serve as initiator codons in ALA1. Among these initiator codons, TTG, CTG, ACG, and ATT had ~50% initiating activities relative to that of ATG, while GTG, ATA, and ATC had ~20% initiating activities relative to that of ATG. Unexpectedly, these non-AUG initiator codons exhibited different preferences toward various sequence contexts. In particular, GTG was one of the most efficient non-ATG initiator codons, while ATA was essentially inactive in the context of GRS1. Conclusion This finding indicates that a sequence context that is favorable for a given non-ATG initiator codon might not be as favorable for another.

Advanced ECCD based NTM control in closed-loop operation at ASDEX Upgrade (AUG)

Science.gov (United States)

Reich, Matthias; Barrera-Orte, Laura; Behler, Karl; Bock, Alexander; Giannone, Louis; Maraschek, Marc; Poli, Emanuele; Rapson, Chris; Stober, Jörg; Treutterer, Wolfgang

2012-10-01

In high performance plasmas, Neoclassical Tearing Modes (NTMs) are regularly observed at reactor-grade beta-values. They limit the achievable normalized beta, which is undesirable because fusion performance scales as beta squared. The method of choice for controlling and avoiding NTMs at AUG is the deposition of ECCD inside the magnetic island for stabilization in real-time (rt). Our approach to tackling such complex control problems using real-time diagnostics allows rigorous optimization of all subsystems. Recent progress in rt-equilibrium reconstruction (< 3.5 ms), rt-localization of NTMs (< 8 ms) and rt beam tracing (< 25 ms) allows closed-loop feedback operation using multiple movable mirrors as the ECCD deposition actuator. The rt-equilibrium uses function parametrization or a fast Grad-Shafranov solver with an option to include rt-MSE measurements. The island localization is based on a correlation of ECE and filtered Mirnov signals. The rt beam-tracing module provides deposition locations and their derivative versus actuator position of multiple gyrotrons. The ``MHD controller'' finally drives the actuators. Results utilizing closed-loop operation with multiple gyrotrons and their effect on NTMs are shown.

[Study on biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite/high density polyethylene (HA/HDPE) nano-composites artificial ossicle].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guohui; Zhu, Shaihong; Tan, Guolin; Zhou, Kechao; Huang, Suping; Zhao, Yanzhong; Li, Zhiyou; Huang, Boyun

2008-06-01

This study was aimed to evaluate the biocompatibility of Hydroxyapatite/High density polyethylene (HA/ HDPE) nano-composites artificial ossicle. The percentage of S-period cells were detected by flow cytometry after L929 cells being incubated with extraction of the HA/HDPE nano-composites; the titanium materials for clinical application served as the contrast. In addition, both materials were implanted in animals and the histopathological evaluations were conducted. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P >0.05). The results demonstrated that the HA/HDPE nano-composite artificial ossicle made by our laboratory is of a good biocompatibility and clinical application outlook.

HaNDL Syndrome Presenting During Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yüksel Kaplan

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Headache associated with neurological deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL is a self-limited syndrome characterized by sudden-onset headache with a temporary neurological deficit and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF lymphocytosis. We aimed to disscus a case of HaNDL syndrome presenting during pregnancy with relevant literature. A 20-year-old female presented with a 5-day history of severe, bilateral throbbing headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and phonophobia. Approximately 2 days after the pain developed, she became acutely confused for less than 90 minutes. 2 days after this episode, she experienced again confusional state and left hemiparesis. There were no symptoms consistent with meningoencephalitis. She was pregnant and at 11 weeks gestation. A neurologic examination showed confusional state, bilateral papilledema, and mild left hemiparesis. The neuroradiological examination was normal. The cerebrospinal fluid revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis, mildly elevated protein, and increased opening pressure. She recovered completely after 8 days. The precise etiology of HaNDL is unknown, although an inflammatory or infectious origin and autoimmune factors have been proposed. Moreover, the risk factors and medical conditions associated with HaNDL are unknown. It is obviously difficult to determine whether the pregnancy was coincidental or associated in this case. We believe that comprehensive studies are needed to clarify the risk factors and medical conditions associated with HaNDL

Neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the conductive PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold for neural tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuping; Guan, Shui; Xu, Jianqiang; Li, Wenfang; Ge, Dan; Sun, Changkai; Liu, Tianqing; Ma, Xuehu

2017-09-26

Engineering scaffolds with excellent electro-activity is increasingly important in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Herein, conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with hyaluronic acid (PEDOT-HA) nanoparticles were firstly synthesized via chemical oxidant polymerization. A three-dimensional (3D) PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold was then developed by introducing PEDOT-HA nanoparticles into a chitosan/gelatin (Cs/Gel) matrix. HA, as a bridge, not only was used as a dopant, but also combined PEDOT into the Cs/Gel via chemical crosslinking. The PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold was used as a conductive substrate for neural stem cell (NSC) culture in vitro. The results demonstrated that the PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold had excellent biocompatibility for NSC proliferation and differentiation. 3D confocal fluorescence images showed cells attached on the channel surface of Cs/Gel and PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffolds with a normal neuronal morphology. Compared to the Cs/Gel scaffold, the PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold not only promoted NSC proliferation with up-regulated expression of Ki67, but also enhanced NSC differentiation into neurons and astrocytes with up-regulated expression of β tubulin-III and GFAP, respectively. It is expected that this electro-active and bio-active PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold will be used as a conductive platform to regulate NSC behavior for neural tissue engineering.

Belgia rahvuspüha puhul kuuleb Eestis kammermuusikat / Maarja Pehk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Pehk, Maarja

2007-01-01

21. juulil on Belgia Kuningriigil rahvuspüha. Suursaadik Pierre Clement Dubuisson tutvustab sel puhul belgia kultuuri kolme kontserdi kaudu. Sel aastal tutvustab saatkond Belgia kultuuri ka koostöös Pimedate Ööde filmifestivaliga

3D-printed scaffolds based on PLA/HA nanocomposites for trabecular bone reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niaza, K V; Senatov, F S; Kaloshkin, S D; Maksimkin, A V; Chukov, D I

2016-01-01

In the present work porous PLA scaffolds filled with micro- and nano- HA were studied. Both composites with micro- and nano-HA were obtained by extrusion in the same conditions. Scaffolds were obtained by 3D-printing by fused filament fabrication method. Structure of porous scaffolds was pre-modeled by computer software. Compression and three - point flexural tests were used to study mechanical properties of the scaffolds. (paper)

Study on the correlationship between serum IGF-I and HA, PIIIP levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yong; Sun Yefu; Xia Aiping

2008-01-01

Objective: To study the inter-relationship between serum IGF-I and HA, PIIIP levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Serum IGF-I, HA and PIIIP levels were determined with RIA in 39 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 35 controls. Results: Serum IGF-I, HA and PIIIP levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). The serum IGF-I levels and HA, PIIIP levels were mutually positively correlated (r=0.8018, 0.7126, P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum IGF-I, HA and PIIIP were useful diagnostic markers in patients with chronic hepatitis C. (authors)

Tallinna Püha hõimkonna altariretaabel / Merike Koppel ; tõlk. Tiina Randviir, toim. Richard Adang

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Koppel, Merike

2006-01-01

Tallinna Niguliste kirikus asuva 17. sajandi keskpaigas ümber tehtud hiliskeskaegse Püha hõimkonna altariretaabli algne pildiprogramm. Altariretaabli korpuse rekonstruktsioon. Kappaltari algse asukoha ja võimalike tellijate väljaselgitamisest. Püha hõimkond Flandria hiliskeskaegsetel nikerdaltaritel

HDPE/HA composites obtained in solution: Effect of the gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carmen, Albano; Arquimedes, Karam; Rosestela, Perera; Gema, Gonzalez; Nohemy, Dominguez; Jeanette, Gonzalez; Yanixia, Sanchez

2006-01-01

Radiation is employed to sterilize composite materials used in the biomedical field. Due to the changes induced by radiation onto polymeric materials, it is important to study variations in their melt flow index (MFI), as well as in their mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, those previous parameters were determined in composites obtained via solution of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in decalin, with different amounts of hydroxyapatite (HA), varying from 10 to 30 parts per hundred, after being exposed to gamma radiation at absorbed doses between 25 and 100 kGy. After the irradiation, the MFI of HDPE dissolved in decalin and precipitated afterwards and without filler increased from 6 to 24 g/10 min at the highest absorbed doses. This behavior was also observed in composites with 10 pph of HA, being the increase less pronounced, specifically in the range between 50 and 100 kGy. Composites with 20 and 30 pph of HA showed a maximum MFI value at 50 kGy, which decreased at higher doses. This implies that the filler begin to exert an influence because it does not melt at the test temperature and consequently, it does not flow. It was observed that Young's modulus increased with HA addition due to rigidity of the ceramic filler. Radiation did not significantly affect this tensile property. On the other hand, the tensile strength did not show significant variations at the different doses but the filler content did affect this property improving it. Finally, elongation at break showed a drastic decrease with filler addition. When the thermal behavior was studied it was noticed that crystallization and melting temperatures remained unchanged. Instead, crystallinity degree slightly increased in the composites, and a little decrease was obtained when they were irradiated

Estado de salud en el adulto mayor en atención primaria a partir de una valoración geriátrica integral

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roxana Gisela Cervantes Becerra

2015-06-01

Conclusión: El estado de salud en el adulto mayor que acude a atención primaria se caracteriza por pacientes independientes con diferente grado de alteraciones en la dimensión médica, bajo grado de alteración mental y recursos sociales medianamente deteriorados.

Study on the changes of serum HA and CG levels in several diseases besides liver disorders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhiping, Lu; Yunbao, Ma; Xiaoyi, Zhang; Weihua, Lv [Changshu Hospital Attached to Medical College of Yangzhou Univ., Changshu No.2 People' s Hospital, Changshu (China)

2005-12-15

Objective: To study the changes of serum hyaluronic acid (HA) and cholyglycine (CG) in several diseases besides liver disorders. Methods: Serum HA and CG levels were measured with RIA in 78 patients with chronic liver diseases (with 70 controls), (84 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma ), 70 pediatric patients with various infections diseases (with 40 controls), 50 pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory infection (RRI, with 30 controls) and 428 pregnant women ( with 60 controls). In addition, RBC C{sub 3}b receptor ratio (RBCC{sub 3} bRR) and RBC immune-complex ratio (RBCICR) (both with yeast rosette method) as well as serum IgG,IgM,IgA,C{sub 3} levels (with immunoturbidity test) were examined in the 50 RRI pediatric patients, ALT levels were examined in the 70 pediatric patients with infectious diseases and SF examined in the 78 patients with chronic liver diseases. Results: The serum CG, HA and SF levels in the three groups of patients with chronic liver diseases ( CPH, CAH, Cirrhosis) were significantly higher than those in the controls (all P<0.01 ) with the exception of HA in CPH patients (P > 0.05). In patients with hepatic carcinoma, the CG and HA levels were positively correlated with the mortality at 4 months (P < 0.05). Among pregnant women, serum levels of HA and CG were significantly higher during the second and third trimesters (P<0.05-0.01) than those in the controls but not so during the first trimester. In the pediatric patients with infectious diseases, CG and HA levels were significantly higher in all these patients (P<0.01) with the only exception of HA in patients with mumps (P>0.05). For ALT, levels only increased in patients with hepatitis and typhoid fever with none in bacillary dysentery and mumps. In pediatric patients with RRI, RBCC{sub 3}bRR (%), CG, C{sub 3}, IgG levels were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05 ) with no significant differences in the case of RBCICR (%), HA, IgM and IgA levels (P>0

HA Cells monitoring at the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in the CMHM (Andra)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, Olivier; Allagnat, Dominique; Morel, Jacques; Armand, Gilles

2010-01-01

The experimental monitoring program of the HA (High Activity) cells was carried out at the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in the Meuse Haute Marne department in France (CMHM Andra). Inspections made by video and photographs, section measurements and geo-referenced trajectories, in addition to measurements of convergence, temperature and hygrometry over time, allowed a better analysis of the behaviour of the HA cells after excavation, and subsequently over the long term. (authors)

The DELPHI expert process of the German umbrella project AUGE as basis for recommendations to CO2 storage in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Pilz, Peter; Schoebel, Birgit; Liebscher, Axel

2016-04-01

Within the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN funding scheme for geological CO2 storage by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany 33 projects (135 subprojects) have been funded with a total budget of 58 Mio € (excluding industry funds) from 2005 to 2014. In 2012, the German parliament passed the transposition of the EU CCS Directive 2009/31/EG into the national "Carbon Dioxide Storage Law" (KSpG). Annex 1 of the KSpG provides a description of criteria for the characterization and assessment of a potential CO2 storage site. Annex 2 describes the expected monitoring system of a CO2 storage site. The criteria given in the appendices are of general nature, which reflects (1) that the CO2 storage technology is still being developed and (2) that site specific aspects needs to be considered. In 2012 an umbrella project called AUGE has been launched in order to compile and summarize the results of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN projects to underpin the two Annexes scientifically. By integration of the individual project results AUGE aims at derive recommendations for the review and implementation of the KSpG. The recommendations shall be drafted based on a common ground of science, public authorities and industry. Therefore, the AUGE project includes a Delphi expert process as an essential part. It is realized in cooperation with the company COMPARE Consulting, Göppingen. The implementation of the Delphi-Process is organized in three steps: • After the technical preparation of a standardized questionnaire (2014/2015) it was sent to 129 experts from science, industry and public authorities in Germany. After a few weeks of consideration time, 40 persons (30 %) had decided to participate actively in this inquiry. • Following the results of the first interrogation campaign, the second survey campaign started at the end of 2015. The same list of questions was used, complemented with the results of the first inquiry campaign. The intention is reduce the variance of the

Augmenter le taux de vaccination et réduire la mortalité infantile à Haïti

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2 mai 2016 ... Résultats de l'Initiative canadienne d'immunisation internationale pour Haïti À Haïti, un enfant sur quatorze ne survit pas assez longtemps pour fêter son premier anniversaire. Parmi les facteurs contributifs, citons les taux extrêmement faibles de vaccination à Haïti, qui sont parmi les plus bas au monde.

Not so pristine – characterising the physico-chemical conditions of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-08-15

Aug 15, 2013 ... Salinity stratification and hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen (DO) < 3 mg∙ℓ-1) were ... However high nutrient concentrations were measured in the middle and upper .... 9% irrigation, 78% commercial afforestation and 13% uptake ...... ROBERTSON HA and FUNNELL EP (2012) Aquatic plant dynamics.

Comportamiento frente a la durabilidad de morteros de reparación de cemento modificados con polímeros

OpenAIRE

González Lucas, Ángel

2014-01-01

El auge que ha surgido en los últimos años por la reparación de edificios y estructuras construidas con hormigón ha llevado al desarrollo de morteros de reparación cada vez más tecnológicos. En el desarrollo de estos morteros por parte de los fabricantes, surge la disyuntiva en el uso de los polímeros en sus formulaciones, por no encontrarse justificado en ocasiones el trinomio prestaciones/precio/aplicación. En esta tesis se ha realizado un estudio exhaustivo para la justificación de la ...

Plan de negocios para un hotel boutique ubicado en el distrito de Machu Picchu, Cusco

OpenAIRE

UPC, Repositorio Academico; Baca Cuba, Dany Israel; Huaylla Martínez, Moisés Jesús; Santa Cruz Salazar, Jorge Alfonso

2015-01-01

La sostenida recuperación que ha registrado el sector turismo a nivel mundial en los últimos años, así como sus alentadoras proyecciones, la OIT estima que se convierta en el sector con mas ingresos a nivel mundial para el año 2020. Este crecimiento a nivel mundial se ha visto magnificado en nuestro país, el cual muestra tasas de crecimiento que son, incluso, 250% mayores que el crecimiento global. Este auge ha generado un boom, de este sector, en nuestro país, el cual se ve sustentado por nu...

Preparation and properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydroxylapatite (HA) hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, F; Ma, M; Lu, L; Pan, Z; Zhou, W; Cai, J; Luo, S; Zeng, W; Yin, F

2017-05-20

A novel bioactive hydrogel for cartilage tissue based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydroxylapatite (HA) were prepared, the effects of its component contents on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the hydrogel were investigated. The important properties of the scaffold composites, such as density, porosity, compressive modulus and microstructure were studied and analyzed through various measurements and methods. The biodegradability of hydrogel was evaluated by soaking the samples into artificial degradation solution at body temperature (36 - 37 oC) in vitro. Experimental results showed that the PVA/HA hydrogels had a density of 0.572 - 0.683 g/cm3, a porosity of 63.25 - 96.14% and a compressive modulus of 5.62 - 8.24 MP. The HA compound in the hydrogels enhanced the biodegradation significantly and linearly increased the rate of biodegradation by 2.3 - 8.5 %. The compressive modulus of PVA/HA exhibited a linear reduce to 0.86 - 1.53 MP with the time of degradation. The scaffold composites PVA/HA possess a high porosity, decent compressive modulus and good biodegradability. After further optimizing the structure and properties, this composite might be considered as novel hydrogel biomaterials to be applied in the field of cartilage tissue engineering.

Characterization and corrosion property of nano-rod-like HA on fluoride coating supported on Mg-Zn-Ca alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yashan; Zhu, Shijie; Wang, Liguo; Chang, Lei; Yan, Bingbing; Song, Xiaozhe; Guan, Shaokang

2017-06-01

The poor corrosion resistance of biodegradable magnesium alloys is the dominant factor that limits their clinical application. In this study, to deal with this challenge, fluoride coating was prepared on Mg-Zn-Ca alloy as the inner coating and then hydroxyapatite (HA) coating as the outer coating was deposited on fluoride coating by pulse reverse current electrodeposition (PRC-HA/MgF 2 ). As a comparative study, the microstructure and corrosion properties of the composite coating with the outer coating fabricated by traditional constant current electrodeposition (TED-HA/MgF 2 ) were also investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the coatings show that the morphology of PRC-HA/MgF 2 coating is dense and uniform, and presents nano-rod-like structure. Compared with that of TED-HA/MgF 2 , the corrosion current density of Mg alloy coated with PRC-HA/MgF 2 coatings decreases from 5.72 × 10 -5 A/cm 2 to 4.32 × 10 -7 A/cm 2 , and the corrosion resistance increases by almost two orders of magnitude. In immersion tests, samples coated with PRC-HA/MgF 2 coating always show the lowest hydrogen evolution amount, and could induce deposition of the hexagonal structure-apatite on the surface rapidly. The results show that the corrosion resistance and the bioactivity of the coatings have been improved by adopting double-pulse current mode in the process of preparing HA on fluoride coating, and the PRC-HA/MgF 2 coating is worth of further investigation.

Screening of the target genes trans-activated by HLA-HA8 in hepatocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi WANG

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objective To clone and identify the target genes trans-activated by human minor histocompatibility antigen HLA-HA8 in hepatocytes with suppression subtractive hybridization(SSH and bioinfomatics technique.Methods mRNA was isolated from HepG2 cells transfected by pcDNA3.1(--HLA-HA8 and pcDNA3.1(- empty vector,and then used to synthesize the double-stranded cDNA(marked as Tester and Driver,respectively by reverse transcription.After being digested with restriction enzyme Rsa I,the tester cDNA was divided into two parts and ligated to the specific adaptor 1 and adaptor 2,respectively,and then hybridized with driver cDNA twice and underwent PCR twice.The production was subcloned into pEGM-Teasy plasmid vectors to set up the subtractive library.The library was then amplified by transfection into E.coli strain DH5α.The cDNA was sequenced and analyzed in GenBank with Blast search after PCR amplification.Results The subtractive library of genes trans-activated by HLA-HA8 was constructed successfully.The amplified library contained 101 positive clones.Colony PCR showed that all these clones contained 200-1000bp inserts.Twenty eight clones were selected randomly to analyze the sequences.The result of homologous analysis showed that altogether 16 coding sequences were gotten,of which 4 sequences were with unknown function.Conclusions The obtained sequences trans-activated by HLA-HA8 may code different proteins and play important roles in cell growth and metabolism,energy synthesis and metabolism,material transport and signal transduction.This finding will bring some new clues for the studies not only on the biological functions of HLA-HA8,but also on the HBV infection mechanism.

El nacimiento del paisaje petrolero en la región de Poza Rica [Veracruz], México

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Luisa Martell Contreras

2012-12-01

Full Text Available La localización de yacimientos y la extracción de petróleo en el Norte de Veracruz (México, han sido desde hace 60 años, actividades importantes para el desarrollo de la economía del país. El gran auge que la industria del petróleo ha tenido en esta región, ha modificado de forma drástica el paisaje; además de que ha impactado de forma directa, en los ámbitos sociales y económicos. El presente artículo pretende dar un breve panorama, de la manera en que la actividad petrolera ha influido en la transformación del paisaje.

Áreas metropolitanas:¿qué ha cambiado?: La experiencia de la Caracas Metropolitana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Barrios

2001-05-01

Full Text Available La nueva economía de la información y del conocimiento ha tenido tres decisivas implicaciones de orden territorial. Primero, ha acelerado el proceso de aglomeración urbana a escala planetaria. Segundo, ha provocado fuertes alteraciones en las redes urbanas de ámbito mundial, regional y nacional. Y tercero, ha impulsado la reestructuración interna de las áreas metropolitanas que se habían conformado durante la era industrial. Todo parece anticipar, por lo tanto, polarizaciones y fragmentaciones territoriales todavía más acentuadas que las conocidas en un pasado cercano. Tomando como referencia el caso de Caracas, se trata de averiguar en qué medida el desarrollo reciente de esta metrópoli sigue las grandes tendencias territoriales antes anotadas; y qué esfuerzos se están haciendo para ajustar sus instancias locales a las nuevas realidades urbanas. Como un recurso adicional, en distintos momentos se establecen comparaciones con Barcelona (España, considerada un ejemplo emblemático de las metrópolis de la era de la información

Removal of Uranium in Drinking Water: Brimac Environmental Services, Inc. Brimac HA 216 Adsorptive Media

Science.gov (United States)

The Brimac HA 216 Adsorptive Media was tested for uranium (U) removal from a drinking water source (well water) at Grappone Toyota located in Bow, New Hampshire. The HA 216 media is a hydroxyapatite-based material. A pilot unit, consisting of a TIGG Corporation Cansorb® C-5 ste...

La traducción en el sector agroalimentario: una simbiosis en auge

OpenAIRE

Rodríguez Rodríguez, Francisco

2013-01-01

En los últimos años, el sector agroalimentario ha venido cobrando especial relevancia por su fuerte imbricación en los más diversos ámbitos de la actividad humana: sociología, ciencia, medio ambiente, turismo, salud o economía. Su incidencia en esta última es tal que hablamos de uno de los sectores industriales predominantes. Las empresas, vector principal de todo intercambio mercantil, además de los evidentes intereses financieros, pretenden ofrecer la prestación de servici...

24 CFR 964.135 - Resident involvement in HA management operations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... management operations. 964.135 Section 964.135 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... Tenant Participation § 964.135 Resident involvement in HA management operations. Residents shall be... responsibility for management operations, it shall ensure strong resident participation in all issues and facets...

Microstructure, mechanical property and corrosion behavior of interpenetrating (HA + β-TCP)/MgCa composite fabricated by suction casting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, X.; Dong, L.H.; Li, J.T.; Li, X.L.; Ma, X.L.; Zheng, Y.F.

2013-01-01

The novel interpenetrating (HA + β-TCP)/MgCa composites were fabricated by infiltrating MgCa alloy into porous HA + β-TCP using suction casting technique. The microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behaviors of the composites have been evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical testing, electrochemical and immersion tests. It was shown that the composites had compact structure and the interfacial bonding between MgCa alloy and HA + β-TCP scaffolds was very well. The ultimate compressive strength of the composites was about 500–1000 fold higher than that of the original porous scaffolds, and it still retained quarter-half of the strength of the bulk MgCa alloy. The electrochemical and immersion tests indicated that the corrosion resistance of the composites was better than that of the MgCa matrix alloy, and the corrosion products of the composite surface were mainly Mg(OH) 2 , HA and Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 . Meanwhile, the mechanical and corrosive properties of the (HA + β-TCP)/MgCa composites were adjustable by the choice of HA content. - Highlights: • The composites were fabricated by infiltrating MgCa alloy into porous HA + β-TCP. • The microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties were investigated. • It showed composites had compact structures and good interfacial bonding. • The mechanical and corrosive properties can be adjustable by the HA content. • The corrosion mechanism of the composite has been explained

Additive effects of dietary glycotoxins and androgen excess on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sotiria Palimeri

2015-08-08

Aug 8, 2015 ... HA diet, when compared with the animals fed with LA diet, but did not significantly differ among .... light/12-h dark cycle) and were given pelleted food and water ... and energy content but contained 1.3 ± 0.4 mg CML/100 g.

Comunidad y desarrollo en los Andes Peruanos. Una critica etnografica al Programa de Culturalidad

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de P.A.

2013-01-01

En las últimas décadas la desconstrucción del desarrollo, conocida como el ‘postdesarrollismo’, ha cobrado gran auge en las ciencias sociales. En Latinoamérica el programa teórico denominado modernidad/colonialidad/descolonialidad (MCD) se propone descolonizar el pensamiento moderno reescribiendo la

Manihot esculenta Crantz

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-08-18

Aug 18, 2009 ... Full Length Research Paper. A simple and .... years its average worldwide productivity has remained at. 12 -13 t/ha ... culture technology to cassava seed producers. MATERIALS ..... promissory varieties or long term maintenance of germoplasm ... Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and.

Description of rainfall variability in Br hat -samhita of Varâha-mihira

OpenAIRE

Iyengar, RN

2004-01-01

Br hat -samhita of Varâha-mihira (5–6th century AD) provides valuable information on the approach in ancient India towards monsoon rainfall, including its measurement and forecasting. In this context, we come across a description of the expected amount of total seasonal rainfall depending on the first rains under the 27 naks atras of Indian astronomy. This provides a rough statistical picture of what might have been the rainfall and its variability in the region around Ujjain, where Varâha-mi...

Synthesis and characterization of praseodymium-142 hydroxyapatite (142Pr-HA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duyeh Setiawan; Daud Nurhasan

2015-01-01

The use of radioisotope of lanthanide group with range of beta energy 0.4 - 2.2 MeV has been renewed interest in nuclear medicine. Praseodymium-142 radioisotope ( 142 Pr, t 1/2 = 19.2 hours, E β = 2.16 MeV) is suitable for applications radiotherapy. Labelled of the hydroxyapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 )6(OH) 2 ) can be used as carrier of radionuclide after injection in the body injection. This research aim as a preliminary studies to make praseodymium-142 hydroxyapatite ( 142 Pr-HA) as a radiotherapy agent. The optimum condition of praseodymium-142 hydroxyapatite synthesis by controlling several parameters such as the pH and the weight of hydroxyapatite was obtained from process by used the nonradioactive praseodymium. The optimum condition of hydroxyapatite by praseodymium are at pH 5 and weight ratio praseodymium : hydroxyapatite is 1 : 16. The percentage of labeling hydroxyapatite with 142 PrCl 3 was 99.50% and the radiochemical purity of 142 Pr-Ha was 95.20%. (author)

Una carta de pésame en arameo de Samuel ha-Naguid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alba Cecilia, Amparo

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we offer a Spanish translation with a commentary of an Aramaic letter of consolation written by Samuel ha-Naguid and sent to R. Ḥananel b. Ḥušiel, lamenting the death of R. Ḥušiel b. Elḥanán, his father.

En el presente artículo ofrecemos la traducción y el estudio de la carta de pésame enviada por Samuel ha-Naguid a R. Ḥananel b. Ḥušiel por la muerte de R. Ḥušiel b. Elḥanán, su padre.

Genetic alterations in Ki-ras and Ha-ras genes in Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibromas and head and neck cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudia Malheiros Coutinho

1999-05-01

Full Text Available CONETXT: Ras gene mutations have been associated to a wide range of human solid tumors. Members of the ras gene family (Ki-ras, Ha-ras and N-ras are structurally related and code for a protein (p21 known to play an important role in the regulation of normal signal transduction and cell growth. The frequency of ras mutations is different from one type of tumor to another, suggesting that point mutations might be carcinogen-specific. OBJECTIVES: To study the occurrence of Ki-ras and Ha-ras mutations. We also studied the relative level of Ha-ras mRNA in 32 of the head and neck tumors. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: University referral unit. PARTICIPANTS: 60 head and neck tumors and in 28 Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibromas (JNA. DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Using PCR-SSCP we examined the occurrence of Ki-ras and Ha-ras mutations. The relative level of Ha-ras mRNA was examined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: None of the head and neck tumors or JNA samples showed evidence of mutations within codons 12, 13, 59 and 61 of Ki-ras or Ha-ras genes. However, 17 (53% of the tumors where gene expression could be examined exhibited increased levels of Ha-ras mRNA compared with the normal tissue derived from the same patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate for the first time that mutations of Ki-ras and Ha-ras genes are not associated with the development of JNA and confirm previous reports indicating that activating ras mutations are absent or rarely involved in head and neck tumors from western world patients. Furthermore, our findings suggest that overexpression of Ha-ras, rather than mutations, might be an important factor in the development and progression of head and neck tumors.

La era del youtuber

OpenAIRE

Sánchez Arufe, Irene

2017-01-01

En el trabajo se analizan los cambios que ha provocado y la recuperación que ha tenido la red social YouTube en la sociedad actual, poniendo como antecedentes la aparición de Internet y el auge de las nuevas redes sociales. También se examinan la figura del youtuber como la creación de una nueva profesión y los aspectos económicos y sociales de este nuevo trabajo. Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas

An in vivo evaluation of PLLA/PLLA-gHA nano-composite for internal fixation of mandibular bone fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Weihai; Zheng, Wei; Shi, Kai; Wang, Wangshu; Shao, Ying; Zhang, Duo

2015-11-09

Internal fixation of bone fractures using biodegradable poly(L-lactic-acid) (PLLA)-based materials has attracted the attention of many researchers. In the present study, 36 male beagle dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: PLLA/PLLA-gHA (PLLA-grafted hydroxyapatite) group and PLLA group. PLLA/PLLA-gHA and PLLA plates were embedded in the muscular bags of the erector spinae and also implanted to fix mandibular bone fractures in respective groups. At 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively, the PLLA/PLLA-gHA and PLLA plates were evaluated by adsorption and degradation tests, and the mandibles were examined through radiographic analysis, biomechanical testing, and histological analysis. The PLLA/PLLA-gHA plates were non-transparent and showed a creamy white color, and the PLLA plates were transparent and faint yellow in color. At all time points following surgery, adsorption and degradation of the PLLA/PLLA-gHA plates were significantly less than those of the PLLA plates, and the lateral and longitudinal bending strengths of the surgically treated mandibles of the beagle dogs in the PLLA/PLLA-gHA group were significantly greater than those of the PLLA group and reached almost the value of intact mandibles at 12 months postoperatively. Additionally, relatively rapid bone healing was observed in the PLLA/PLLA-gHA group with the formation of new lamellar bone tissues at 12 months after the surgery. The PLLA/PLLA-gHA nano-composite can be employed as a biodegradable material for internal fixation of mandibular bone fractures.

An in vivo evaluation of PLLA/PLLA-gHA nano-composite for internal fixation of mandibular bone fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Weihai; Shi, Kai; Wang, Wangshu; Shao, Ying; Zhang, Duo; Zheng, Wei

2015-01-01

Internal fixation of bone fractures using biodegradable poly(L-lactic-acid) (PLLA)-based materials has attracted the attention of many researchers. In the present study, 36 male beagle dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: PLLA/PLLA-gHA (PLLA-grafted hydroxyapatite) group and PLLA group. PLLA/PLLA-gHA and PLLA plates were embedded in the muscular bags of the erector spinae and also implanted to fix mandibular bone fractures in respective groups. At 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively, the PLLA/PLLA-gHA and PLLA plates were evaluated by adsorption and degradation tests, and the mandibles were examined through radiographic analysis, biomechanical testing, and histological analysis. The PLLA/PLLA-gHA plates were non-transparent and showed a creamy white color, and the PLLA plates were transparent and faint yellow in color. At all time points following surgery, adsorption and degradation of the PLLA/PLLA-gHA plates were significantly less than those of the PLLA plates, and the lateral and longitudinal bending strengths of the surgically treated mandibles of the beagle dogs in the PLLA/PLLA-gHA group were significantly greater than those of the PLLA group and reached almost the value of intact mandibles at 12 months postoperatively. Additionally, relatively rapid bone healing was observed in the PLLA/PLLA-gHA group with the formation of new lamellar bone tissues at 12 months after the surgery. The PLLA/PLLA-gHA nano-composite can be employed as a biodegradable material for internal fixation of mandibular bone fractures. (paper)

Laminated electrospun nHA/PHB-composite scaffolds mimicking bone extracellular matrix for bone tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Zhuoyue [Lab of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Song, Yue [Lab of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Zhang, Jing [Lab of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Modern Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province, 710069 (China); Liu, Wei [Lab of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Cui, Jihong, E-mail: cjh@nwu.edu.cn [Lab of Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710069 (China); Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Modern Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, 229 TaiBai North Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province, 710069 (China); and others

2017-03-01

Electrospinning is an effective means to generate nano- to micro-scale polymer fibers resembling native extracellular matrix for tissue engineering. However, a major problem of electrospun materials is that limited pore size and porosity may prevent adequate cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth. In this study, we first prepared thin layers of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (nHA)/poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) via electrospinning. We then laminated the nHA/PHB thin layers to obtain a scaffold for cell seeding and bone tissue engineering. The results demonstrated that the laminated scaffold possessed optimized cell-loading capacity. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited better adherence, proliferation and osteogenic phenotypes on nHA/PHB scaffolds than on PHB scaffolds. Thereafter, we seeded MSCs onto nHA/PHB scaffolds to fabricate bone grafts. Histological observation showed osteoid tissue formation throughout the scaffold, with most of the scaffold absorbed in the specimens 2 months after implantation, and blood vessels ingrowth into the graft could be observed in the graft. We concluded that electrospun and laminated nanoscaled biocomposite scaffolds hold great therapeutic potential for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • We laminated the nHA/PHB layers to obtain a scaffold for bone tissue engineering. • The laminated scaffold performed optimized cell-loading capacity. • MSCs exhibited osteogenic phenotypes on the laminated scaffold. • Osteoid tissue formed throughout the laminated scaffold after 2 months in vivo. The laminated bio-composite scaffolds can be applied to bone regeneration.

Laminated electrospun nHA/PHB-composite scaffolds mimicking bone extracellular matrix for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhuoyue; Song, Yue; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Wei; Cui, Jihong

2017-01-01

Electrospinning is an effective means to generate nano- to micro-scale polymer fibers resembling native extracellular matrix for tissue engineering. However, a major problem of electrospun materials is that limited pore size and porosity may prevent adequate cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth. In this study, we first prepared thin layers of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (nHA)/poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) via electrospinning. We then laminated the nHA/PHB thin layers to obtain a scaffold for cell seeding and bone tissue engineering. The results demonstrated that the laminated scaffold possessed optimized cell-loading capacity. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited better adherence, proliferation and osteogenic phenotypes on nHA/PHB scaffolds than on PHB scaffolds. Thereafter, we seeded MSCs onto nHA/PHB scaffolds to fabricate bone grafts. Histological observation showed osteoid tissue formation throughout the scaffold, with most of the scaffold absorbed in the specimens 2 months after implantation, and blood vessels ingrowth into the graft could be observed in the graft. We concluded that electrospun and laminated nanoscaled biocomposite scaffolds hold great therapeutic potential for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • We laminated the nHA/PHB layers to obtain a scaffold for bone tissue engineering. • The laminated scaffold performed optimized cell-loading capacity. • MSCs exhibited osteogenic phenotypes on the laminated scaffold. • Osteoid tissue formed throughout the laminated scaffold after 2 months in vivo. The laminated bio-composite scaffolds can be applied to bone regeneration.

An interpenetrating HA/G/CS biomimic hydrogel via Diels-Alder click chemistry for cartilage tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Feng; Cao, Xiaodong; Zeng, Lei; Zhang, Qing; Chen, Xiaofeng

2013-08-14

In order to mimic the natural cartilage extracellular matrix, a novel biological degradable interpenetrating network hydrogel was synthesized from the gelatin (G), hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) by Diels-Alder "click" chemistry. HA was modified with furylamine and G was modified with furancarboxylic acid respectively. (1)H NMR spectra and elemental analysis showed that the substitution degrees of HA-furan and G-furan were 71.5% and 44.5%. Then the hydrogels were finally synthesized by cross-linking furan-modified HA and G derivatives with dimaleimide poly(ethylene glycol) (MAL-PEG-MAL). The mechanical and degradation properties of the hydrogels could be tuned simply through varying the molar ratio between furan and maleimide. Rheological, mechanical and degradation studies demonstrated that the Diels-Alder "click" chemistry is an efficient method for preparing high performance biological interpenetrating hydrogels. This biomimic hydrogel with improved mechanical properties could have great potential applications in cartilage tissue engineering. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Powder injection molding of HA/Ti6Al4V composite using palm stearin as based binder for implant material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arifin, Amir; Sulong, Abu Bakar; Muhamad, Norhamidi; Syarif, Junaidi; Ramli, Mohd Ikram

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Fabrication of HA/Ti6Al4V composite using powder injection molding. • Rheological results show that palm stearin is suitable as binder. • Resulted mechanical properties in between titanium alloy and HA values. • Micro porous enable accelerated bioactivity based on in vitro test. - Abstract: Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and hydroxyapatite (HA) are well-known materials applied in implants. Ti6Al4V shows good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, whereas HA possesses excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity but weak mechanical properties. The combination of the Ti6Al4V and HA properties is expected to produce a superior material for bio-implants. This study aimed to analyze the feasibility of fabricating HA/Ti6Al4V composites through powder injection molding (PIM) using palm stearin as base binder. In this study, 90 wt% Ti6Al4V and 10 wt% HA were mixed with the palm stearin and polyethylene binder system. The HA/Ti6Al4V feedstock showed pseudoplastic properties, suggesting its suitability for PIM. Flexural test revealed that the strength of the sintered composite ranges from 67.12 MPa to 112.97 MPa and its Young’s modulus ranges from 39.28 GPa to 44.25 GPa. The X-ray diffraction patterns and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra of the composite showed that the HA decomposed and formed secondary phases. Isotropic porous structure was observed on the sintered sample because of HA decomposition. Results showed that the palm stearin can be used as based binder in fabricating HA/Ti6Al4V composites via PIM. The mechanical properties of the sintered composites are nearly similar to those of the human bone. In addition, the increase in weight of the sintered composite during in vitro tests indicated the nucleation and growth of the Ca–P phase, which exhibited the biocompatibility of the fabricated HA/Ti6Al4V composite

Laminated electrospun nHA/PHB-composite scaffolds mimicking bone extracellular matrix for bone tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhuoyue; Song, Yue; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Wei; Cui, Jihong; Li, Hongmin; Chen, Fulin

2017-03-01

Electrospinning is an effective means to generate nano- to micro-scale polymer fibers resembling native extracellular matrix for tissue engineering. However, a major problem of electrospun materials is that limited pore size and porosity may prevent adequate cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth. In this study, we first prepared thin layers of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (nHA)/poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) via electrospinning. We then laminated the nHA/PHB thin layers to obtain a scaffold for cell seeding and bone tissue engineering. The results demonstrated that the laminated scaffold possessed optimized cell-loading capacity. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited better adherence, proliferation and osteogenic phenotypes on nHA/PHB scaffolds than on PHB scaffolds. Thereafter, we seeded MSCs onto nHA/PHB scaffolds to fabricate bone grafts. Histological observation showed osteoid tissue formation throughout the scaffold, with most of the scaffold absorbed in the specimens 2months after implantation, and blood vessels ingrowth into the graft could be observed in the graft. We concluded that electrospun and laminated nanoscaled biocomposite scaffolds hold great therapeutic potential for bone regeneration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterisation of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki strains by toxicity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2007-08-06

Aug 6, 2007 ... Southern analysis of restricted plasmid combined with cryIA profile can provide an ... Abbreviations: ICP, Insecticidal Crystal Protein; H.a., .... 70 kDa ICP component were purified as per protocol of Harlow and .... They are in principal .... on the interaction of Bacillus thuriengensis subsp. kurstaki with the.

Serie: Madera para construcción Acabados para madera

OpenAIRE

Sáenz-Muñoz, Marta; Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

2012-01-01

Durante mucho tiempo, la madera ha sido utilizada como material de construcción para resolver principalmente objetivos estructurales; sin embargo, actualmente, el uso de la madera ha tomado mucho auge en la estética de las construcciones, para brindar apariencia y calidez. En la actualidad, el mercado ofrece una amplia gama productos para dar diversos “acabados” a la madera, los cuales sirven para resaltar la belleza de algunas de ellas, realzar características como el color y la veta, o bien...

The Latin American Economic Boom

OpenAIRE

OCAMPO, JOSÉ ANTONIO

2008-01-01

Este ensayo argumenta que el auge latinoamericano reciente tiene su origen en la coincidencia de una bonanza de precios de materias primas (más de productos mineros que agrícolas) con condiciones de financiamiento externo excepcionales. Se ha reflejado en una reducción del endeudamiento externo y una acumulación de reservas internacionales, pero no en austeridad fiscal, y ha reforzado la especialización tradicional de la región en exportaciones basadas en recursos naturales. Junto con el meno...

"Estudio estadístico del auge y declive de la Gran Logia de Cuba durante el periodo de 1945 a 1980"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Luis Romeu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Presentamos un análisis estadístico e histórico del auge y declive de los masones cubanos durante el periodo 1945- 1980, basado en nuestro estudio demográfico de esta institución. Nuestro trabajo identifica, y evalúa cuantitativamente, importantes factores que han contribuido, primero al crecimiento, y luego a declive de su membresía, en los primeros 30 años de la segunda mitad del siglo XX. A la vez, el trabajo introduce el uso de nuevas herramientas de análisis, utilizadas exitosamente en otras áreas de las humanidades y de las ciencias sociales.

Nacionalismo y violencia en el País Vasco. Factores y mecanismos del auge y declive de ETA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamín Tejerina

2015-11-01

Full Text Available La violencia política, en sus múltiples manifestaciones, ha condicionado las prácticas sociales y el imaginario de la sociedad vasca en las últimas décadas. El inicio de este proceso se produce en pleno franquismo cuando el nacionalismo vasco experimenta una profunda mutación que ha marcado la vida cotidiana y la estructura institucional de la sociedad vasca desde entonces. Hace ahora cuatro años, el 20 de octubre de 2011, Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA anuncia el cese definitivo de la utilización de la violencia. Se han realizado numerosas investigaciones sobre el origen y la evolución del nacionalismo vasco radical para entender los cambios que ha experimentado a lo largo del tiempo. En este artículo se analiza el proceso de expansión y declive de la actividad de ETA y de los apoyos sociales y políticos con los que ha contado a lo largo de este tiempo. A partir de las investigaciones sobre el nacionalismo vasco realizadas por Alfonso Pérez-Agote a lo largo de tres décadas tratamos de completar su explicación sobre la violencia política prestando atención a la movilización social en torno a ella. A partir de los resultados de varias investigaciones, y siguiendo una lógica histórica que arranca en la dictadura franquista y culmina en la primera década del siglo XXI, se analizan los mecanismos sociales (cognitivos, afectivos y prácticos que han posibilitado su mantenimiento a lo largo del tiempo y su progresiva erosión.

Transgenic Cotton Plants Expressing the HaHR3 Gene Conferred Enhanced Resistance to Helicoverpa armigera and Improved Cotton Yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Qiang; Wang, Zhenzhen; He, Yunxin; Xiong, Yehui; Lv, Shun; Li, Shupeng; Zhang, Zhigang; Qiu, Dewen; Zeng, Hongmei

2017-08-30

RNA interference (RNAi) has been developed as an efficient technology. RNAi insect-resistant transgenic plants expressing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is ingested into insects to silence target genes can affect the viability of these pests or even lead to their death. HaHR3 , a molt-regulating transcription factor gene, was previously selected as a target expressed in bacteria and tobacco plants to control Helicoverpa armigera by RNAi technology. In this work, we selected the dsRNA- HaHR3 fragment to silence HaHR3 in cotton bollworm for plant mediated-RNAi research. A total of 19 transgenic cotton lines expressing HaHR3 were successfully cultivated, and seven generated lines were used to perform feeding bioassays. Transgenic cotton plants expressing ds HaHR3 were shown to induce high larval mortality and deformities of pupation and adult eclosion when used to feed the newly hatched larvae, and 3rd and 5th instar larvae of H. armigera . Moreover, HaHR3 transgenic cotton also demonstrated an improved cotton yield when compared with controls.

Hyaluronic acid doped-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan/gelatin (PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel) porous conductive scaffold for nerve regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Shuping; Guan, Shui; Zhu, Zhibo; Li, Wenfang; Liu, Tianqing; Ma, Xuehu

2017-01-01

Conducting polymer, as a “smart” biomaterial, has been increasingly used to construct tissue engineered scaffold for nerve tissue regeneration. In this study, a novel porous conductive scaffold was prepared by incorporating conductive hyaluronic acid (HA) doped-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-HA) nanoparticles into a chitosan/gelatin (Cs/Gel) matrix. The physicochemical characteristics of Cs/Gel scaffold with 0–10 wt% PEDOT-HA were analyzed and the results indicated that the incorporation of PEDOT-HA into scaffold increased the electrical and mechanical properties while decreasing the porosity and water absorption. Moreover, in vitro biodegradation of scaffold displayed a declining trend with the PEDOT-HA content increased. About the biocompatibility of conductive scaffold, neuron-like rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells were cultured in scaffold to evaluate cell adhesion and growth. 8% PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold had a higher cell adhesive efficiency and cell viability than the other conductive scaffolds. Furthermore, cells in the scaffold with 8 wt% PEDOT-HA expressed higher synapse growth gene of GAP43 and SYP compared with Cs/Gel control group. These results suggest that 8%PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold is an attractive cell culture conductive substrate which could support cell adhesion, survival, proliferation, and synapse growth for the application in nerve tissue regeneration. - Highlights: • A porous conductive scaffold was prepared by freeze-drying method. • Conductive scaffold could support PC12 cells adhesion, survival, and proliferation. • Cells in conductive scaffold expressed high synapse growth gene of GAP43 and SYP.

Hyaluronic acid doped-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan/gelatin (PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel) porous conductive scaffold for nerve regeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Shuping; Guan, Shui, E-mail: guanshui@dlut.edu.cn; Zhu, Zhibo; Li, Wenfang; Liu, Tianqing; Ma, Xuehu

2017-02-01

Conducting polymer, as a “smart” biomaterial, has been increasingly used to construct tissue engineered scaffold for nerve tissue regeneration. In this study, a novel porous conductive scaffold was prepared by incorporating conductive hyaluronic acid (HA) doped-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-HA) nanoparticles into a chitosan/gelatin (Cs/Gel) matrix. The physicochemical characteristics of Cs/Gel scaffold with 0–10 wt% PEDOT-HA were analyzed and the results indicated that the incorporation of PEDOT-HA into scaffold increased the electrical and mechanical properties while decreasing the porosity and water absorption. Moreover, in vitro biodegradation of scaffold displayed a declining trend with the PEDOT-HA content increased. About the biocompatibility of conductive scaffold, neuron-like rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells were cultured in scaffold to evaluate cell adhesion and growth. 8% PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold had a higher cell adhesive efficiency and cell viability than the other conductive scaffolds. Furthermore, cells in the scaffold with 8 wt% PEDOT-HA expressed higher synapse growth gene of GAP43 and SYP compared with Cs/Gel control group. These results suggest that 8%PEDOT-HA/Cs/Gel scaffold is an attractive cell culture conductive substrate which could support cell adhesion, survival, proliferation, and synapse growth for the application in nerve tissue regeneration. - Highlights: • A porous conductive scaffold was prepared by freeze-drying method. • Conductive scaffold could support PC12 cells adhesion, survival, and proliferation. • Cells in conductive scaffold expressed high synapse growth gene of GAP43 and SYP.

Silencing of HaAce1 gene by host-delivered artificial microRNA disrupts growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Ravi Prakash; Raman, Venkat; Dhandapani, Gurusamy; Malhotra, Era Vaidya; Sreevathsa, Rohini; Kumar, Polumetla Ananda; Sharma, Tilak R; Pattanayak, Debasis

2018-01-01

The polyphagous insect-pest, Helicoverpa armigera, is a serious threat to a number of economically important crops. Chemical application and/or cultivation of Bt transgenic crops are the two strategies available now for insect-pest management. However, environmental pollution and long-term sustainability are major concerns against these two options. RNAi is now considered as a promising technology to complement Bt to tackle insect-pests menace. In this study, we report host-delivered silencing of HaAce1 gene, encoding the predominant isoform of H. armigera acetylcholinesterase, by an artificial microRNA, HaAce1-amiR1. Arabidopsis pre-miRNA164b was modified by replacing miR164b/miR164b* sequences with HaAce1-amiR1/HaAce1-amiR1* sequences. The recombinant HaAce1-preamiRNA1 was put under the control of CaMV 35S promoter and NOS terminator of plant binary vector pBI121, and the resultant vector cassette was used for tobacco transformation. Two transgenic tobacco lines expressing HaAce1-amiR1 was used for detached leaf insect feeding bioassays. Larval mortality of 25% and adult deformity of 20% were observed in transgenic treated insect group over that control tobacco treated insect group. The reduction in the steady-state level of HaAce1 mRNA was 70-80% in the defective adults compared to control. Our results demonstrate promise for host-delivered amiRNA-mediated silencing of HaAce1 gene for H. armigera management.

Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum HA, IL-2 and TNF-α contents in patients with psoriasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Hong

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate the changes of serum HA, IL-2 and TNF-α contents in patients with psoriasis. Methods: Serum HA, TNF-α levels were measured with RIA and IL-2 levels was measured with ELISA in 47 patients with psoriasis as well as 35 controls. Results: The serum HA, TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P < 0. 01), while the serum IL-2 levels were significantly lower (P<0.01). Conclusion: Determination of serum HA, IL-2 and TNF-α contents would be clinically useful for understanding the disturbances of immunomodulation in these patients. (authors)

pH-Amplified multilayer films based on hyaluronan: influence of HA molecular weight and concentration on film growth and stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Liyan; Chaudouet, Patrick; Ji, Jian; Picart, Catherine

2011-04-11

In this study, we investigate the growth and internal properties of polyelectrolyte multilayer films made of poly(l-lysine) and hyaluronan (PLL/HA) under pH-amplified conditions, that is, by alternate deposition of PLL at high pH and HA at low pH. We focus especially on the influence of the molecular weight of HA in this process as well as on its concentration in solution. Film growth was followed by quartz crystal microbalance and by infrared spectroscopy to quantify the deposited mass and to characterize the internal properties of the films, including the presence of hydrogen bonds and the ionization degree of HA in the films. Film growth was significantly faster for HA of high molecular weight (1300 kDa) as compared with 400 and 200 kDa. PLL was found to exhibit a random structure once deposited in the films. Furthermore, we found that PLL-ending films are more stable when they are placed in PBS than their HA counterparts. This was explained on the basis of more cohesive interactions in the films for PLL-ending films. Finally, we quantified PLL(FITC) diffusion into the films and observed that PLL diffusion is enhanced when PLL is paired with the HA of high MW. All together, these results suggest that besides purely physicochemical parameters such as variation in pH, the molecular weight of HA, its concentration in solution, and the possibility to form intermolecular HA association play important roles in film growth, internal cohesion, and stability.

Laser fabrication of Ag-HA nanocomposites on Ti6Al4V implant for enhancing bioactivity and antibacterial capability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiangmei; Man, H.C., E-mail: mfhcman@polyu.edu.hk

2017-01-01

For titanium alloy implants, both surface bioactivity and antibacterial infection are the two critical factors in determining the success of clinical implantation of these metallic implants. In the present work, a novel nanocomposite layer of nano-silver-containing hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) was prepared on the surface of biomedical Ti6Al4V by laser processing. Analysis using SEM, EDS and XRD shows the formation of an Ag-HA layer of about 200 μm fusion bonded to the substrate. Mineralization tests in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed that laser fabricated Ag-HA nanocomposite layer favors the deposition of apatite on the surface of the implants. Antibacterial tests confirmed that all Ag-HA nanocomposite layers can kill bacteria while a higher Ag content would lower the cytocompatibility of these coatings. Cell viability decreases when the Ag content reaches 5% in these coatings, due to the larger amount of Ag leached out, as confirmed by ion release evaluation. Our results reveal that laser fabricated Ag-HA nanocomposite coatings containing 2% Ag show both excellent cytocompatibility and antibacterial capability. - Highlights: • Silver-containing hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) nanocomposite layer was fabricated on Ti6Al4V by laser technique. • Both bioactivity and antibacterial capability were significantly enhanced compared with bare Ti6Al4V. • Ag-HA nanocomposite coatings containing 2% Ag show both excellent cytocompatibility and antibacterial capability.

Effects of DCPD cement chemistry on degradation properties and cytocompatibility: comparison of MCPM/β-TCP and MCPM/HA formulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alge, Daniel L; Goebel, W Scott; Chu, Tien-Min Gabriel

2013-01-01

Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) cements are attractive biomaterials for bone repair, and a number of different DCPD cement formulations have been proposed in the literature. In this study, we have specifically compared monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM)/hydroxyapatite (HA) and MCPM/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) formulations to test the hypothesis that DCPD cement chemistry affects the degradation properties and cytocompatibility of the cement. Using simple in vitro models we found that MCPM/β-TCP formulations degraded primarily by DCPD dissolution, which was associated with a slight pH drop and relatively low mass loss. Cytocompatibility testing of cement conditioned culture media revealed no significant change in cell viability relative to the negative control for all of the MCPM/β-TCP formulations. In contrast, the MCPM/HA formulations were prone to undergo rapid conversion of DCPD to HA, resulting in a sharp pH drop and extensive mass loss. A stoichiometric excess of HA in the cement was found to accelerate the conversion process, and significant cytotoxicity was observed for the MCPM/HA formulations containing excess HA. Collectively, these results show that, although the product of the setting reaction is the same, DCPD cements produced with MCPM/HA and MCPM/β-TCP formulations differ significantly in their degradation properties and cytocompatibility. These differences may have important implications for the selection of a DCPD cement formulation for clinical application. (paper)

Production of polyclonal antibody against Tehran strain influenza virus (A/H1N1/2009 hemagglutinin conserved domain (HA2: brief report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somayeh Zamani

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The influenza virus is one of the most important factors for higher morbidity and mortality in the world. Recently, researchers have been focused on influenza conserved antigenic proteins such as hemagglutinin stalk domain (HA2 for vaccine production and serological studies. The HA2 plays a major role in the fusion of the virus with host cells membrane. The immunity system enables to produce antibody against HA2. The aim of this study is polyclonal antibody production against influenza HA2. Methods: This study was done in the Influenza Research Lab, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran for one year from September 2013 to October 2014. In the present study, recombinant HA2 protein was produced in prokaryotic system and purified using Nickel affinity chromatography. The purified HA2 was mixed with Freund’s adjuvant (complete and incomplete and injected into two New Zealand white rabbits by intramuscularly and subcutaneously routes. Immunization was continued for several months with two weeks interval. Before each immunization, blood was drawn by venous puncture from the rabbit ear. Function of rabbit's sera was evaluated using radial immunodiffusion (RID in both forms, Single RID (SRID and Double RID (DRID. Finally, antiserum activity against HA2 was evaluated using western blotting as serological assay. Results: Sedimentary line and zone was observed in RID assays (SRID and DRID represent interaction between HA2 protein and anti- HA2 antibody. As well as, western blotting results was positive for HA2 protein. Therefore, these results showed that polyclonal antibody produced against HA2 protein can identify HA2 protein antigenic sites. Conclusion: These findings show that humoral immune responses have properly been stimulated in rabbits and these antibodies can identify HA2 protein and may be suitable for other serological methods.

Sääste hoitakse üha enam valuutas / Piret Reiljan

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Reiljan, Piret, 1983-

2007-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti 18. juuli lk. 3. Üha enam eraisikuid on oma tähtajalisi ja säästuhoiuseid paigutanud valuutasse, kuna välisraha puhul on valuutarisk väiksem. Kommenteerivad Mart Sõrg, Sven Meimer. Diagramm: Valuutahoiuste maht tõusuteel; Üle aasta kestvatest eraisikute hoiustest 75% valuutas. Tabel: Kroonihoius intressi poolest kuldne kesktee. Lisa: Number

Moringa oleifera Lam

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2015-08-12

Aug 12, 2015 ... The study was carried out to determine the anti-nutrient, vitamin and other phytochemical compositions of old and succulent leaves of Moringa oleifera plants as influenced by poultry manure application. Three levels of poultry manure, that is, 0, 5 and 10 tonnes ha-1 were used for treatment. Poultry manure.

Nafta hinnatõus sunnib ettevõtteid lahendusi otsima / Anne Oja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Oja, Anne, 1970-

2004-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti 11. aug lk. 4. Ettevõtete juhid kommenteerivad nafta hinnatõusu mõju nende äritegevusele. Diagramm: Nafta hind tõusnud aastaga kolmandiku võrra. Vt. samas: Tõnis Arnover. Nafta ülikõrge hinna langust pole ette näha; Nafta hinna kasv lööb tarbimist

Trichomonas vaginalis Metalloproteinase Induces mTOR Cleavage of SiHa Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Juan-Hua; Choi, In-Wook; Yang, Jung-Bo; Zhou, Wei; Cha, Guang-Ho; Zhou, Yu; Ryu, Jae-Sook

2014-01-01

Trichomonas vaginalis secretes a number of proteases which are suspected to be the cause of pathogenesis; however, little is understood how they manipulate host cells. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth, cell proliferation, cell motility, cell survival, protein synthesis, and transcription. We detected various types of metalloproteinases including GP63 protein from T. vaginalis trophozoites, and T. vaginalis GP63 metalloproteinase was confirmed by sequencing and western blot. When SiHa cells were stimulated with live T. vaginalis, T. vaginalis excretory-secretory products (ESP) or T. vaginalis lysate, live T. vaginalis and T. vaginalis ESP induced the mTOR cleavage in both time- and parasite load-dependent manner, but T. vaginalis lysate did not. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with a metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10-phenanthroline, completely disappeared the mTOR cleavage in SiHa cells. Collectively, T. vaginalis metallopeptidase induces host cell mTOR cleavage, which may be related to survival of the parasite. PMID:25548410

24 CFR 964.18 - HA role in activities under subparts B & C.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... encourage the formation of joint HA management-resident committees to work on issues and planning. (9) The... elements of their partnership agreement and it shall be updated at least once every three (3) years. (11...

Elaboración de material audiovisual sobre los principios de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia para el AVAC de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana

OpenAIRE

Albán Feijóo, Mary Elena; Terán Lozano, Adriana Paola

2012-01-01

El acelerado ritmo de vida de nuestra era y el auge de la ciencia y la tecnología, han ofrecido al mundo comodidades y beneficios que hace unas décadas se veían solo en sueños; sin embargo, este estilo de vida materialista ha acarreado consecuencias poco fructíferas en la conducta de las personas. Guerras, violencia, hambrunas, riqueza desmedida, son tan solo algunos ejemplos de las múltiples dificultades que tiene el mundo. La Iglesia Católica desde su instauración, ha demostrado preocupa...

Maltrato al anciano en el Ecuador.

OpenAIRE

Palacios Zavala, Carlos Renán

2005-01-01

El maltrato, expresado en todas sus formas, especialmente el que se dirige hace grupos vulnerables, es un fenómeno reciente en su estudio pero constante en su Prevalencia en la historia humana, en la actualidad el auge que ha tomado las medidas de prevención del maltrato inicialmente el infantil, luego la mujer e incluso de el las personas con discapacidad, ha relegado en el país el análisis, la discusión, la prevención y la sanción del maltrato contra un grupo poblacional o...

Research and performance evaluation on an HA integrated acid system for sandstone acidizing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liqiang Zhao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available When the conventional sandstone acidizing technologies are adopted, many slugs are needed in the injection of prepad fluid, treatment fluid and postpad fluid, and consequently the production and operation suffers inconveniences and difficulties. In view of this, a kind of HA integrated acid system which is mainly composed of organic polybasic acids (HA+HCl + HF and an efficient organic solvent was developed in this paper based on the idea of integrated acid replacing ''multiple steps'' and high efficiency and intensification. Via this HA integrated acid system, the complicated blockage in sandstone reservoirs can be removed effectively. Then, experiments were carried out on this system to evaluate its performance in terms of its retardance, organic blockage dissolution, chelating and precipitation inhibition. It is indicated that this new system can not only realize the acidizing of conventional integrated acid, but also present a good retarding performance by controlling H+ multi-stage ionization step by step and by forming silica acid-aluminum phosphonate film on the surface of clay minerals; that via this new HA integrated acid system, the organic blockage can be removed efficiently; and that it is wider in pH solution range than conventional APCs (aminopolycarboxyliates chelants, stronger in chelating capacity of Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe3+ than conventional chelants (e.g. EDTA, NTA and DTPA, and better in precipitation inhibition on metal fluoride, fluosilicic acid alkali metal, fluoaluminic acid alkali metal and hydroxide than multi-hydrogen acid, fluoboric acid and mud acid systems. These research results provide a technical support for the plugging removal in high-temperature deep oil and gas reservoirs. Keywords: Organic polybasic acid, Integrated acid, Retardance, Chelating, Precipitation, Acidizing, Sandstone, Reservoir

Characterization of electrolytic HA/ZrO{sub 2} double layers coatings on Ti-6Al-4V implant alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yen, S.K. [Department of Materials Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: skyen@dragon.nchu.edu.tw; Chiou, S.H. [Graduate Institute of Veterinary Microbiology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Wu, S.J. [Department of Materials Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Chang, C.C. [Department of Materials Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Lin, S.P. [Department of Materials Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Lin, C.M. [Department of Materials Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China)

2006-01-15

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating was proved having bioactive property and hence improving the bonding strength on bone tissue without inducing the growth of fiber tissue. However, the weak adhesion between HA and metal implants is still the major problem. In this study, a novel method of electrolytic HA/ZrO{sub 2} double layers coating was successfully conducted on F-136 Ti-6Al-4V implant alloy in ZrO{sub 2}(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} aqueous solution and subsequently in the mixed solution of Ca(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} and NH{sub 4}H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}. After annealing at 400 deg. C, 500 deg. C and 600 deg. C for 4 h in air, the coated specimens were evaluated by X-ray diffraction analyses, surface morphology observations, scratch tests, dynamic polarization tests, immersion tests and cell culture assays. In addition to corrosion resistance, the adhesion strength of electrolytic deposited HA on Ti alloy was dramatically improved from the critical scratch load 2 N to 32 N by adding the intermediate electrolytic deposition of ZrO{sub 2}, which showed the strong bonding effects between Ti alloy substrate and HA coating. Based on the cell morphology and cell proliferation data, HA/ZrO{sub 2} double layers coating revealed the better substrate for the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts than the others. It was also found that the crystallization of HA had positive effect on the proliferation of osteoblasts.

Clinical significance of changes of serum TBA, CG, HA levels in neonate with parenteral nutrition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Weiliang; Zhou Jiongying; Zhang Xiaoyi; Lv Weihua; Ma Yunbao; He Qizhi

2010-01-01

Objective: To study the clinical significance of changes of serum levels of TBA, CG, HA in neonate with parenteral nutrition. Methods: Serum total bile acid (TBA, with biochemistry) and CG, HA (with RIA) contents were measured in 52 neonates (full-term 32, preterm 20) with parenteral nutrition and 28 neonates (full-term 16, preterm 12) without parenteral nutrition (as controls). Results: Before parenteral nutrition,the serum TBA, CG and HA levels in full-term neonates were not significantly different from those in the controls (P>0.05). After parenteral nutrition,serum levels were significantly higher than those before parenteral nutrition (P<0.01). The levels in pre-term neonates were significantly higher after parenteral nutrition than those in full-term neonates (P<0.05). Conclusion: Long term parenteral nutrition might be harmful to hepatic and gall bladder function in neonates especially in premature ones. (authors)

v-Ha-ras oncogene insertion: A model for tumor progression of human small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabry, M.; Nakagawa, Toshitaro; Nelkin, B.D.; McDowell, E.; Gesell, M.; Eggleston, J.C.; Casero, R.A. Jr.; Baylin, S.B.

1988-01-01

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) manifests a range of phenotypes in culture that may be important in understanding its relationship to non-SCLCs and to tumor progression events in patients. Most SCLC-derived cell lines, termed classic SCLC lines, have properties similar to SCLC tumors in patients. To delineate further the relationships between these phenotypes and the molecular events involved, the authors inserted the v-Ha-ras gene in SCLC cell lines with (biochemical variant) and without (classic) an amplified c-myc gene. These two SCLC subtypes had markedly different phenotypic responses to similar levels of expression of v-Ha-ras RNA. No biochemical or morphologic changes were observed in classic SCLC cells. In contrast, in biochemical variant SCLC cells, v-Ha-ras expression induced features typical of large cell undifferentiated lung carcinoma. Expression of v-Ha-ras in biochemical variant SCLC cells directly demonstrates that important transitions can occur between phenotypes of human lung cancer cells and that these may play a critical role in tumor progression events in patients. The finding provide a model system to study molecular events involved in tumor progression steps within a series of related tumor types

Abnormal MRI in a patient with 'headache with neurological deficits and CSF lymphocytosis (HaNDL)'.

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, A; Kaleagasi, H; Dogu, O; Kara, E; Ozge, A

2010-05-01

A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with right upper-extremity numbness and mild weakness followed by a bifrontal throbbing headache for 30 min, which was similar to a headache lasting for 12 h that had occurred 3 days ago. Laboratory tests were unremarkable except for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytic pleocytosis. On the following day, a headache episode with left hemiparesis and hemihypoaesthesia, left hemifield visio-spatial inattention, anosagnosia and confusion recurred. The headache was diagnosed as headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) syndrome according to the criteria of the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Simultaneously performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed swelling of the grey matter, CSF enhancement in the sulci of the right temporal and occipital regions and hypoperfusion of the same brain regions. During the following 10 days two more similar episodes recurred and during the ensuing 12 months the patient remained headache free. Neuroimaging findings of the HaNDL syndrome are always thought as virtually normal. MRI abnormalities in our patient have not been reported in HaNDL syndrome previously, although they have been reported in hemiplegic migraine patients before. The findings in our case suggest that hemiplegic migraine and HaNDL syndrome may share a common pathophysiological pathway resulting in similar imaging findings and neurological symptoms.

Zonation of heme synthesis enzymes in mouse liver and their regulation by β-catenin and Ha-ras.

Science.gov (United States)

Braeuning, Albert; Schwarz, Michael

2010-11-01

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) hemoproteins play an important role in hepatic biotransformation. Recently, β-catenin and Ha-ras signaling have been identified as players controlling transcription of various CYP genes in mouse liver. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of β-catenin and Ha-ras in the regulation of heme synthesis. Heme synthesis-related gene expression was analyzed in normal liver, in transgenic mice expressing activated β-catenin or Ha-ras, and in hepatomas. Regulation of the aminolevulinate dehydratase promoter was studied in vitro. Elevated expression of mRNAs and proteins involved in heme biosynthesis was linked to β-catenin activation in perivenous hepatocytes, in transgenic hepatocytes, and in hepatocellular tumors. Stimulation of the aminolevulinate dehydratase promoter by β-catenin was independent of the β-catenin/T-cell-specific transcription factor dimer. By contrast, activation of Ha-ras repressed heme synthesis-related gene expression. The present data suggest that β-catenin enhances the expression of both CYPs and heme synthesis-related genes, thus coordinating the availability of CYP apoprotein and its prosthetic group heme. The reciprocal regulation of heme synthesis by β-catenin and Ha-ras-dependent signaling supports our previous hypothesis that antagonistic action of these pathways plays a major role in the control of zonal gene expression in healthy mouse liver and aberrant expression patterns in hepatocellular tumors.

Processing of influenza HA protein in MDCK cells: components with different mobilities in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and their precursor-product relationships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sklyanskaya, E.I.; Rudneva, I.A.; Vovk, T.S.; Kaverin, N.V.

1980-01-01

In influenza virus-infected MDCK cells labelled with 14 C-chlorella hydrolysate or 35 S-methionine a virus-specific protein component is revealed migrating slightly faster than HA protein in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Under chase conditions the component disappears either completely or partially, with a concomitant intensification of the HA band. The rate and extent of this transition are strain-dependent. Both the HA band and the faster moving component are not revealed if the cells are labelled in the presence of 20 mM of D-glucosamine. In primary cell cultures of chick embryos a single HA band with a mobility similar to that of the faster moving component in MDCK cells has been observed. It is suggested that the transition of the label from the faster moving component to the HA band reflects the final step of HA processing specific for MDCK cells. (author)

La gestion des ressources naturelles dans la commune de Hong Ha ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

approvisionnement utilisée par l'armée nord-vietnamienne dans les années 1960 et 1970, la commune de Hong Ha — qui .... J'ai remboursé le prêt et utilisé les profits pour acheter de la nourriture et envoyer mes enfants à l'école. ».

Rheological and structural characterization of HA/PVA-SbQ composites film-forming solutions and resulting films as affected by UV irradiation time.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Huiyu; Sun, Yunlong; Xu, Jing; Dong, Weifu; Liu, Xiaoya

2015-01-22

Hyaluronan (HA)/poly (vinyl alcohol) bearing styrylpyridinium groups (PVA-SbQ) composites film-forming solutions were prepared by a negatively charged HA and an oppositely charged PVA-SbQ. The rheological properties and structural characterization of HA/PVA-SbQ composites in aqueous solution were investigated. Zeta potential measurements and TEM were utilized to explore the formation of HA/PVA-SbQ complex micelles in aqueous solution. UV spectra and DLS experiments confirmed that the micelles are photo-crosslinkable. HA/PVA-SbQ composites films were prepared by a casting method. The microstructure and properties of the film were analyzed by SEM, optical transmittance, DSC, XRD and tensile testing. The crosslinked HA/PVA-SbQ composites films exhibited higher UV light shielding and visible light transparency and better mechanical and water vapor barrier properties as well as thermal stability than the uncrosslinked HA/PVA-SbQ composites films, indicating the formation of three-dimensional network structure. This work provided a good way for increasing the mechanical, thermal, water vapor barrier, and optical properties of HA materials for the packaging material. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The novel kinetics expression of Cadmium (II) removal using green adsorbent horse dung humic acid (Hd-Ha)

Science.gov (United States)

Basuki, Rahmat; Santosa, Sri Juari; Rusdiarso, Bambang

2017-03-01

Humic acid from dry horse dung powder has been prepared and this horse dung humic acid (HD-HA) was then applied as a sorbent to adsorb Cadmium(II) from a solution. Characterization of HD-HA was conducted by detection of its functional group, UV-Vis spectra, ash level, and total acidity. Result of the work showed that HD-HA had similar character compared with peat soil humic acid (PS-HA) and previous researchers. The adsorption study of this work was investigated by batch experiment in pH 5. The thermodynamics parameters in this work were determined by the Langmuir isotherm model for monolayer sorption and Freundlich isotherm model multilayer sorption. Monolayer sorption capacity (b) for HD-HA was 1.329 × 10-3 mol g-1, equilibrium constant (K) was 5.651 (mol/L)-1, and multilayer sorption capacity was 2.646 × 10-2 mol g-1. The kinetics parameters investigated in this work were determined by the novel kinetics expression resulted from the mathematical derivation the availability of binding sites of sorbent. Adsorption rate constant (ka) from this novel expression was 43.178 min-1 (mol/L)-1 and desorption rate constant (kd) was 1.250 × 10-2 min-1. Application of the kinetics model on sorption Cd(II) onto HD-HA showed the nearly all of models gave a good linearity. However, only this proposed kinetics expression has good relation with Langmuir model. The novel kinetics expression proposed in this paper seems to be more realistic and reasonable and close to the experimental real condition because the value of ka/kd (3452 (mol/L)-1) was fairly close with K from Langmuir isotherm model (5651 (mol/L)-1). Comparison of this novel kinetics expression with well-known Lagergren pseudo-first order kinetics and Ho pseudo-second order kinetics was also critically discussed in this paper.

Effect of gamma radiation and accelerated aging on the mechanical and thermal behavior of HDPE/HA nano-composites for bone tissue regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Alothman, Othman Y; Almajhdi, Fahad N; Fouad, H

2013-09-24

The replacement of hard tissues demands biocompatible and sometimes bioactive materials with properties similar to those of bone. Nano-composites made of biocompatible polymers and bioactive inorganic nano particles such as HDPE/HA have attracted attention as permanent bone substitutes due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. The HDPE/HA nano-composite is prepared using melt blending at different HA loading ratios. For evaluation of the degradation by radiation, gamma rays of 35 kGy, and 70 kGy were used to irradiate the samples at room temperature in vacuum. The effects of accelerated ageing after gamma irradiation on morphological, mechanical and thermal properties of HDPE/HA nano-composites were measured. In Vitro test results showed that the HDPE and all HDPE/HA nano-composites do not exhibit any cytotoxicity to WISH cell line. The results also indicated that the tensile properties of HDPE/HA nano-composite increased with increasing the HA content except fracture strain decreased. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results showed that the storage and loss moduli increased with increasing the HA ratio and the testing frequency. Finally, it is remarked that all properties of HDPE/HA is dependent on the irradiation dose and accelerated aging. Based on the experimental results, it is found that the addition of 10%, 20% and 30% HA increases the HDPE stiffness by 23%, 44 and 59% respectively. At the same time, the G' increased from 2.25E11 MPa for neat HDPE to 4.7E11 MPa when 30% HA was added to the polymer matrix. Also, significant improvements in these properties have been observed due to irradiation. Finally, the overall properties of HDPE and its nano-composite properties significantly decreased due to aging and should be taken into consideration in the design of bone substitutes. It is attributed that the developed HDPE/HA nano-composites could be a good alternative material for bone tissue regeneration due to their acceptable

Programming Algorithms of load balancing with HA-Proxy in HTTP services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Teodoro Mejía Viteri

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The access to the public and private services through the web gains daily protagonism, and sometimes they must support amounts of requests that a team can not process, so there are solutions that use algorithms that allow to distribute the load of requests of a web application in several equipment; the objective of this work is to perform an analysis of load balancing scheduling algorithms through the HA-Proxy tool, and deliver an instrument that identifies the load distribution algorithm to be used and the technological infrastructure, to largely cover implementation. The information used for this work is based on a bibliographic analysis, eld study and implementation of the different load balancing algorithms in equipment, where the distribution and its performance will be analyzed. The incorporation of this technology to the management of services on the web, improves availability, helps business continuity and through the different forms of distribution of the requests of the algorithms that can be implemented in HA-Proxy to provide those responsible for information technology systems with a view of their advantages and disadvantages.

El auge del género de superhéroes y la nueva industria cinematográfica global

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicente GARCÍA-ESCRIVÁ

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Proveniente del mundo del cómic, la figura del superhéroe debutó con éxito en el cine a finales de la década de los 70. Sin embargo, ha sido durante los últimos quince años cuando esta figura ha cobrado un extraordinario protagonismo y, en sus múltiples variantes, ha dado pie a buena parte de las franquicias cinematográficas que en la actualidad dominan las salas de cine de todo el planeta. Al hilo de este nuevo paisaje fílmico, el presente artículo se propone explorar la naturaleza del cine de superhéroes, un apabullante espectáculo audiovisual que es consumido por millones de espectadores en todo el mundo, con especial incidencia entre el público infantil y juvenil. Tal indagación conduce a examinar las narrativas desplegadas en estas series de películas, así como a analizar la propia figura del superhéroe en el contexto de un cine saturado de efectos visuales y acción trepidante. Finalmente, el artículo trata de señalar las razones de fondo que han llevado a la industria de Hollywood a apostar por el género de superhéroes como fórmula recurrente para atraer al público a las salas de cine.

Single-dose monomeric HA subunit vaccine generates full protection from influenza challenge

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mallajosyula, JK

2014-03-01

Full Text Available 50% survival, or 100% survival with adjuvant, compared with 10% survival after vaccination with a commercially available H 1 N 1 vaccine. TMV-HA is an effective dose-sparing influenza vaccine, using a single-step process to rapidly generate large...

Groteskno Haškových cestovních povídek

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hrbata, Zdeněk

2014-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 3 (2014), s. 181-198 ISSN 0037-6973 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-29985S Institutional support: RVO:68378068 Keywords : travel ogues * grotesqueness * parody * Hašek, Jaroslav Subject RIV: AJ - Letters, Mass-media, Audiovision

The Study on Biocompatibility of Porous nHA/PLGA Composite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering with Rabbit Chondrocytes In Vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To examine the biocompatibility of a novel nanohydroxyapatite/poly[lactic-co-glycolic acid] (nHA/PLGA composite and evaluate its feasibility as a scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering. Methods. Chondrocytes of fetal rabbit were cultured with nHA/PLGA scaffold in vitro and the cell viability was assessed by MTT assay first. Cells adhering to nHA/PLGA scaffold were then observed by inverted microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM. The cell cycle profile was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results. The viability of the chondrocytes on the scaffold was not affected by nHA/PLGA comparing with the control group as it was shown by MTT assay. Cells on the surface and in the pores of the scaffold increased in a time-dependent manner. Results obtained from flow cytometry showed that there was no significant difference in cell cycle profiles between the coculture group and control (P>0.05. Conclusion. The porous nHA/PLGA composite scaffold is a biocompatible and good kind of scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.

Comparison between PCL/hydroxyapatite (HA) and PCL/halloysite nanotube (HNT) composite scaffolds prepared by co-extrusion and gas foaming.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Xin; Mi, Hao-Yang; Turng, Lih-Sheng

2017-03-01

In this work, three-dimensional poly(caprolactone) (PCL) tissue engineering scaffolds were prepared by co-extrusion and gas foaming. Biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HA) and halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were added to the polymer matrix to enhance the mechanical properties and bioactivity of the composite scaffolds. The effects of HA and HNT on the rheological behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds were systematically compared. It was found that the HNT improved viscosity more significantly than HA, and reduced the pore size of scaffolds, while the mechanical performance of PCL/HNT scaffolds was higher than PCL/HA scaffolds with the same filler content. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used as the cell model to compare the biological properties of two composite scaffolds. The results demonstrated that cells could survive on all scaffolds, and showed a more flourishing living state on the composite scaffolds. The cell differentiation for 5% HA and 1% HNT scaffolds were significantly higher than other scaffolds, while the differentiation of 5% HNT scaffolds was lower than that of 1% HNT scaffolds mainly because of the reduced pore size and pore interconnectivity. Therefore, this study suggested that, with proper filler content and control of microstructure through processing, HNT could be a suitable substitute for HA for bone tissue engineering to reduce the cost and improve mechanical performance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Metallpitsid Tallinna Püha Johannese hospidali (Jaani seegi) kalmistu haualeidudes / Sari Marjut Rainne

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rainne, Sari Marjut

2010-01-01

Tallinna Püha Johannese hospidali (Jaani seegi) kalmistualal toimunud arheoloogilistelt kaevamistelt leitud metallpitsidest. Ülevaade põhiliselt 18. sajandist pärit peakatete külge kinnitatud pitside materjaliuuringu tulemustest ja konserveerimisest

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Guorui; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Perry, Kay; Weisemann, Jasmin; Rummel, Andreas; Jin, Rongsheng

2017-03-08

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A-G), a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H) was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (H C ) of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2) that target the H C . Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-H C at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG) and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2). Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures.

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guorui Yao

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs, which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A–G, a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (HC of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2 that target the HC. Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-HC at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2. Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures.

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Guorui; Lam, Kwok-ho; Perry, Kay; Weisemann, Jasmin; Rummel, Andreas; Jin, Rongsheng (Cornell); (Dusseldorf); (UCI)

2017-03-01

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A–G), a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H) was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (HC) of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2) that target the HC. Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-HC at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG) and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2). Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures

La historia material e inmaterial de la escuela: memoria, patrimonio y educación = The material and immaterial history of the school: memory, heritage and education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frago, Antonio Viñao

2012-01-01

Full Text Available El análisis de la cultura material de las instituciones educativas constituye un campo historiográfico en auge. Asimismo, la creación de museos y sociedades interesadas por la conservación y el estudio del patrimonio educativo ha experimentado un crecimiento notable en las dos últimas décadas. En este texto se ofrece, primero, una síntesis de dicho auge. Después, se expone la variedad de usos posibles del patrimonio educativo y se tratan algunas cuestiones metodológicas que plantea su estudio. Por último, se efectúan algunas reflexiones sobre la memoria y el patrimonio histórico en la era de la cultura electrónica

The sunflower transcription factor HaHB11 confers tolerance to water deficit and salinity to transgenic Arabidopsis and alfalfa plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabello, Julieta V; Giacomelli, Jorge I; Gómez, María C; Chan, Raquel L

2017-09-10

Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors are unique to the plant kingdom; members of subfamily I are known to be involved in abiotic stress responses. HaHB11 belongs to this subfamily and it was previously shown that it is able to confer improved yield and tolerance to flooding via a quiescent strategy. Here we show that HaHB11 expression is induced by ABA, NaCl and water deficit in sunflower seedlings and leaves. Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing HaHB11, controlled either by its own promoter or by the constitutive 35S CaMV, presented rolled leaves and longer roots than WT when grown under standard conditions. In addition, these plants showed wider stems and more vascular bundles. To deal with drought, HaHB11 transgenic plants closed their stomata faster and lost less water than controls, triggering an enhanced tolerance to such stress condition and also to salinity stress. Concomitantly, ABA-synthesis and sensing related genes were differentially regulated in HaHB11 transgenic plants. Either under long-term salinity stress or mild drought stress, HaHB11 transgenic plants did not exhibit yield penalties. Moreover, alfalfa transgenic plants were generated which also showed enhanced drought tolerance. Altogether, the results indicated that HaHB11 was able to confer drought and salinity tolerance via a complex mechanism which involves morphological, physiological and molecular changes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Indispensable N-Terminal Half of elF3j/HCR1 Cooperates with its Structurally Conserved Binding Partner eIF3b/PRT1-RRM and with eIF1A in Stringent AUG Selection

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

ElAntak, L.; Wagner, Susan; Herrmannová, Anna; Karásková, Martina; Rutkai, Edit; Lukavsky, P. J.; Valášek, Leoš

2010-01-01

Roč. 396, č. 4 (2010), s. 1097-1116 ISSN 0022-2836 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : translation initiation * AUG recognition * eIF3 Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 4.008, year: 2010

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite-Collagen-Chitosan (HA/Col/Chi) Composite Coated on Ti6Al4V

Science.gov (United States)

Charlena; Bikharudin, Ahmad; Wahyudi, Setyanto Tri

2018-01-01

HA-collagen-chitosan (HA/col/chi) composite is developed to increase bioactivity adhesiveness between the metal and the material composite and to improve corrosion resistance. The Ti6Al4V alloy was coated by soaking in HA/col/chi composite at room temperature and then allowed to stand for 5, 6, and 7 days. Diffraction pattern analysis of the coated Ti6Al4V alloy showed that the dominant phase were HA and Ti6Al4V alloy. Corrosion resistance test in media by using 0.9% NaCl showed the corrosion rate at the level of 0.3567 mpy, which was better than that of the uncoated Ti6Al4V alloy (0.4152 mpy). In vitro cytocompatibility assay on endothelial cell of calf pulmonary artery endothelium (CPAE) (ATCC-CCL 209) showed there was no toxicity in the cell culture with the percent inhibition of 33.33% after 72 hours of incubation.

Wear Behavior of Plasma Spray Deposited and Post Heat-Treated Hydroxyapatite (HA)-Based Composite Coating on Titanium Alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) Substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Renu; Majumdar, Jyotsna Dutta

2018-04-01

The present study concerns a detailed evaluation of wear resistance property of plasma spray deposited composite hydroxyapatite (HA)-based (HA-50 wt pct TiO2 and HA-10 wt pct ZrO2) bioactive coatings developed on Ti-6Al-4V substrate and studying the effect of heat treatment on it. Heat treatment of plasma spray deposited samples has been carried out at 650 °C for 2 hours (for HA-50 wt pct TiO2 coating) and at 750 °C for 2 hours (for HA-10 wt pct ZrO2 coating). There is significant deterioration in wear resistance for HA-50 wt pctTiO2 coating and a marginal deterioration in wear resistance for HA-10 wt pct ZrO2 coating in as-sprayed state (as compared to as-received Ti-6Al-4V) which is, however, improved after heat treatment. The coefficient of friction is marginally increased for both HA-50 wt pct TiO2 and HA-10 wt pct ZrO2 coatings in as-sprayed condition as compared to Ti-6Al-4V substrate. However, coefficient of friction is decreased for both HA-50 wt pct TiO2 and HA-10 wt pct ZrO2 coatings after heat-treated condition as compared to Ti-6Al-4V substrate. The maximum improvement in wear resistance property is, however, observed for HA-10 wt pct ZrO2 sample after heat treatment. The mechanism of wear has been investigated.

Recombinant HA1 produced in E. coli forms functional oligomers and generates strain-specific SRID potency antibodies for pandemic influenza vaccines.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurana, Surender; Larkin, Christopher; Verma, Swati; Joshi, Manju B; Fontana, Juan; Steven, Alasdair C; King, Lisa R; Manischewitz, Jody; McCormick, William; Gupta, Rajesh K; Golding, Hana

2011-08-05

Vaccine production and initiation of mass vaccination is a key factor in rapid response to new influenza pandemic. During the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic, several bottlenecks were identified, including the delayed availability of vaccine potency reagents. Currently, antisera for the single-radial immunodiffusion (SRID) potency assay are generated in sheep immunized repeatedly with HA released and purified after bromelain-treatment of influenza virus grown in eggs. This approach was a major bottleneck for pandemic H1N1 (H1N1pdm09) potency reagent development in 2009. Alternative approaches are needed to make HA immunogens for generation of SRID reagents in the shortest possible time. In this study, we found that properly folded recombinant HA1 globular domain (rHA1) from several type A viruses including H1N1pdm09 and two H5N1 viruses could be produced efficiently using a bacterial expression system and subsequent purification. The rHA1 proteins were shown to form functional oligomers of trimers, similar to virus derived HA, and elicited high titer of neutralizing antibodies in rabbits and sheep. Importantly, the immune sera formed precipitation rings with reference antigens in the SRID assay in a dose-dependent manner. The HA contents in multiple H1N1 vaccine products from different manufacturers (and in several lots) as determined with the rHA1-generated sheep sera were similar to the values obtained with a traditionally generated sheep serum from NIBSC. We conclude that bacterially expressed recombinant HA1 proteins can be produced rapidly and used to generate SRID potency reagents shortly after new influenza strains with pandemic potential are identified. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Green Chemistry; Sviluppo sostenibile. L'industria ha bisogno del contributo di tutti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ingallina, P. [EniTecnologie SpA, San Donato Milanese, MI (Italy)

2001-02-01

Everyone acknowledges that chemistry is a key science in order to study and solve the problems of the environment: a successful arranging technological progress with environment protection is one of the main challenge of the next millennium. The Green Chemistry (or Sustainable Chemistry) represents the specific contribution that chemists can supply for an environmentally compatible development. [Italian] Fabrizio d'Adda, attualmente Presidente di EniChem e membro di Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council), ha aperto il seminario {sup T}he Greening of Chemistry{sup (}EniTecnologie - 31 Ottobre 2000) con un breve discorso. Ha espresso parole di fiducia riguardo al futuro dell'industria chimica, l'unica a suo giudizio, in grado di avviare un nuovo modello di sviluppo nel rispetto delle implicazioni ambientali, sociali ed economiche.

Mistisisme dalam Perspektif Filsafat Analitik: Antara Wittgenstein dan Mehdi Ha'iri Yazdi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Hidayatullah S.

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Language is a principal instrument for philosopher and as a medium for analysis and reflection. Wittgenstein said, that the order analytical philosophy is to clean away the epistemology from the "good" terms but unclear in it interpretation. Every thing that can be thinks must be able spoken. The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. From this perspective mysticism and mystics experience is nin-sense, because nothing factual reference. From this case, the goal of this study is to find out the epistemology in mysticism and mystic experience. In the study we include the knowledge by presence (ilm al-hudhuri Ha 'iri as an approach. Ha 'iri said that there is a other knowledge which that can be explanations in limits of language and picture theory. This is knowledge by peresence, which by Wittgenstein aware as some thing which having difference language games from knowledge by correspondece.

Postoperative intra-abdominal collections using a sodium hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose (HA-CMC) barrier at the time of laparotomy for uterine or cervical cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Leitao, Mario M; Byrum, Graham V; Abu-Rustum, Nadeem R; Brown, Carol L; Chi, Dennis S; Sonoda, Yukio; Levine, Douglas A; Gardner, Ginger J; Barakat, Richard R

2010-11-01

A prior analysis of patients undergoing laparotomy for ovarian malignancies at our institution revealed an increased rate of intra-abdominal collections using HA-CMC film during debulking surgery. The primary objective of the current study was to determine whether the use of HA-CMC is associated with the development of postoperative intra-abdominal collections in patients undergoing laparotomy for uterine or cervical malignancies. We retrospectively identified all laparotomies performed for these malignancies from 3/1/05 to 12/31/07. We identified cases involving the use of HA-CMC via billing records and operative reports. Intra-abdominal collections were defined as localized intraperitoneal fluid accumulations in the absence of re-accumulating ascites. We noted incidences of intra-abdominal collections, as well as other complications. Appropriate statistical tests were applied using SPSS 15.0. We identified 169 laparotomies in which HA-CMC was used and 347 in which HA-CMC was not used. The following were statistically similar in both cohorts: age, body mass index (BMI), primary site, surgery for recurrent disease, prior intraperitoneal surgery, and extent of current surgery. Intra-abdominal collections were seen in 6 (3.6%) of 169 HA-CMC cases compared to 10 (2.9%) of 347 non-HA-CMC cases (p=0.7). The rate of infected collections was similar in both groups (1.2% vs. 1.4%). In the subgroup that underwent tumor debulking, intra-abdominal collections were seen in 3 (11.5%) of 26 HA-CMC cases compared to 2 (5.4%) of 37 non-HA-CMC cases (p=0.6). HA-CMC use does not appear to be associated with postoperative intra-abdominal collections in patients undergoing laparotomy for uterine or cervical cancer. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on the changes of serum HA and CG levels in several diseases besides liver disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Zhiping; Ma Yunbao; Zhang Xiaoyi; Lv Weihua

2005-01-01

Objective: To study the changes of serum hyaluronic acid (HA) and cholyglycine (CG) in several diseases besides liver disorders. Methods: Serum HA and CG levels were measured with RIA in 78 patients with chronic liver diseases (with 70 controls), (84 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma ), 70 pediatric patients with various infections diseases (with 40 controls), 50 pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory infection (RRI, with 30 controls) and 428 pregnant women ( with 60 controls). In addition, RBC C 3 b receptor ratio (RBCC 3 bRR) and RBC immune-complex ratio (RBCICR) (both with yeast rosette method) as well as serum IgG,IgM,IgA,C 3 levels (with immunoturbidity test) were examined in the 50 RRI pediatric patients, ALT levels were examined in the 70 pediatric patients with infectious diseases and SF examined in the 78 patients with chronic liver diseases. Results: The serum CG, HA and SF levels in the three groups of patients with chronic liver diseases ( CPH, CAH, Cirrhosis) were significantly higher than those in the controls (all P 0.05). In patients with hepatic carcinoma, the CG and HA levels were positively correlated with the mortality at 4 months (P 0.05). For ALT, levels only increased in patients with hepatitis and typhoid fever with none in bacillary dysentery and mumps. In pediatric patients with RRI, RBCC 3 bRR (%), CG, C 3 , IgG levels were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Various infectious diseases in pediatric patients could induce mild liver damage, which was closely related to the depressed immune status. High CG and HA levels in liver cancer patients suggested high mortality at 4 months. Women in late pregnancy might harbour disturbances in CG metabolism and mild liver injury though without overt symptoms. (authors)

Conformational heterogeneity of the bacteriopheophytin electron acceptor HA in reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas viridis revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Breton, J; Bibikova, M; Oesterhelt, D; Nabedryk, E

1999-08-31

The light-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectra corresponding to the photoreduction of either the HA bacteriopheophytin electron acceptor (HA-/HA spectrum) or the QA primary quinone (QA-/QA spectrum) in photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) of Rhodopseudomonas viridis are reported. These spectra have been compared for wild-type (WT) RCs and for two site-directed mutants in which the proposed interactions between the carbonyls on ring V of HA and the RC protein have been altered. In the mutant EQ(L104), the putative hydrogen bond between the protein and the 9-keto C=O of HA should be affected by changing Glu L104 to a Gln. In the mutant WF(M250), the van der Waals interactions between Trp M250 and the 10a-ester C=O of HA should be modified. The characteristic effects of both mutations on the FTIR spectra support the proposed interactions and allow the IR modes of the 9-keto and 10a-ester C=O of HA and HA- to be assigned. Comparison of the HA-/HA and QA-/QA spectra leads us to conclude that the QA-/QA IR signals in the spectral range above 1700 cm-1 are largely dominated by contributions from the electrostatic response of the 10a-ester C=O mode of HA upon QA photoreduction. A heterogeneity in the conformation of the 10a-ester C=O mode of HA in WT RCs, leading to three distinct populations of HA, appears to be related to differences in the hydrogen-bonding interactions between the carbonyls of ring V of HA and the RC protein. The possibility that this structural heterogeneity is related to the observed multiexponential kinetics of electron transfer and the implications for primary processes are discussed. The effect of 1H/2H exchange on the QA-/QA spectra of the WT and mutant RCs shows that neither Glu L104 nor any other exchangeable carboxylic residue changes appreciably its protonation state upon QA reduction.

Study on the clinical value of determination of serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) and HA, PIIIP levels for diagnosis of chronic hepatitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yun

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical value of determination of serum ADA and HA, PIIIP levels for diagnosis of chronic hepatitis. Methods: Serum ADA levels were determined with biochemistry and HA, PIIIP levels were detected with RIA in 36 patients with chronic hepatitis and 35 controls. Results: The levels of serum ADA, HA and PIIIP were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P<0.01). Serum ADA, HA, PIIIP levelers were mutually positively correlated (r=0.6117, 0.7134, P<0.01). Conclusion: Detection of serum ADA levels could reflect the liver reserve function and status of fibrosis. (authors)

Correlations between the in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of the Ti/HA composites fabricated by a powder metallurgy method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Congqin; Zhou, Yu

2008-11-01

Ti/HA composites were successfully prepared by a powder metallurgy method and the effect of phase composition on the in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of the Ti/HA composites was investigated in the present study. The correlations between the in vitro and in vivo biological behaviors were highlighted. The results showed that the in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of the Ti/HA composites was dependent on their phase composition. The in vitro bioactivity of the Ti/HA composites was evaluated in simulated body fluid with ion concentrations similar to those of human plasma. After immersion in the simulated body fluid for a certain time, apatite precipitations formed on the surface of the composites with an initial titanium content of 50 and 70 wt.%, and no apatite was found on the surface of the composite with 30% titanium. Ti(2)O was responsible for the apatite formation on the surfaces of the composites. For in vivo analysis, Ti/HA cylinders were implanted in the metaphases of the rabbit femur. At the early stage of implantation, the new bone formed on the surface of the composite with 30% titanium was much less than that on the surfaces of the composites with 50% and 70% titanium. All the Ti/HA composites formed a chemical bone-bonding interface with the host bone by 6 months after implantation. The Ti/HA composites formed the bone-bonding interface with the surrounding bone through an apatite layer. The results in the present study suggested that the in vivo results agreed well with the in vitro results.

Response of Human Osteoblast to n-HA/PEEK—Quantitative Proteomic Study of Bio-effects of Nano-Hydroxyapatite Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Minzhi; Li, Haiyun; Liu, Xiaochen; Wei, Jie; Ji, Jianguo; Yang, Shu; Hu, Zhiyuan; Wei, Shicheng

2016-03-01

Nano-sized hydroxyapatite (n-HA) is considered as a bio-active material, which is often mixed into bone implant material, polyetheretherketone (PEEK). To reveal the global protein expression modulations of osteoblast in response to direct contact with the PEEK composite containing high level (40%) nano-sized hydroxyapatite (n-HA/PEEK) and explain its comprehensive bio-effects, quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted on human osteoblast-like cells MG-63 cultured on n-HA/PEEK in comparison with pure PEEK. Results from quantitative proteomic analysis showed that the most enriched categories in the up-regulated proteins were related to calcium ion processes and associated functions while the most enriched categories in the down-regulated proteins were related to RNA process. This enhanced our understanding to the molecular mechanism of the promotion of the cell adhesion and differentiation with the inhibition of the cell proliferation on n-HA/PEEK composite. It also exhibited that although the calcium ion level of incubate environment hadn’t increased, merely the calcium fixed on the surface of material had influence to intracellular calcium related processes, which was also reflect by the higher intracellular Ca2+ concentration of n-HA/PEEK. This study could lead to more comprehensive cognition to the versatile biocompatibility of composite materials. It further proves that proteomics is useful in new bio-effect discovery.

Response of Human Osteoblast to n-HA/PEEK—Quantitative Proteomic Study of Bio-effects of Nano-Hydroxyapatite Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Minzhi; Li, Haiyun; Liu, Xiaochen; Wei, Jie; Ji, Jianguo; Yang, Shu; Hu, Zhiyuan; Wei, Shicheng

2016-01-01

Nano-sized hydroxyapatite (n-HA) is considered as a bio-active material, which is often mixed into bone implant material, polyetheretherketone (PEEK). To reveal the global protein expression modulations of osteoblast in response to direct contact with the PEEK composite containing high level (40%) nano-sized hydroxyapatite (n-HA/PEEK) and explain its comprehensive bio-effects, quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted on human osteoblast-like cells MG-63 cultured on n-HA/PEEK in comparison with pure PEEK. Results from quantitative proteomic analysis showed that the most enriched categories in the up-regulated proteins were related to calcium ion processes and associated functions while the most enriched categories in the down-regulated proteins were related to RNA process. This enhanced our understanding to the molecular mechanism of the promotion of the cell adhesion and differentiation with the inhibition of the cell proliferation on n-HA/PEEK composite. It also exhibited that although the calcium ion level of incubate environment hadn’t increased, merely the calcium fixed on the surface of material had influence to intracellular calcium related processes, which was also reflect by the higher intracellular Ca2+ concentration of n-HA/PEEK. This study could lead to more comprehensive cognition to the versatile biocompatibility of composite materials. It further proves that proteomics is useful in new bio-effect discovery. PMID:26956660

The sunflower transcription factor HaHB11 improves yield, biomass and tolerance to flooding in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabello, Julieta V; Giacomelli, Jorge I; Piattoni, Claudia V; Iglesias, Alberto A; Chan, Raquel L

2016-03-20

HaHB11 is a member of the sunflower homeodomain-leucine zipper I subfamily of transcription factors. The analysis of a sunflower microarray hybridized with RNA from HaHB11-transformed leaf-disks indicated the regulation of many genes encoding enzymes from glycolisis and fermentative pathways. A 1300bp promoter sequence, fused to the GUS reporter gene, was used to transform Arabidopsis plants showing an induction of expression after flooding treatments, concurrently with HaHB11 regulation by submergence in sunflower. Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing HaHB11 under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter and its own promoter were obtained and these plants exhibited significant increases in rosette and stem biomass. All the lines produced more seeds than controls and particularly, those of high expression level doubled seeds yield. Transgenic plants also showed tolerance to flooding stress, both to submergence and waterlogging. Carbohydrates contents were higher in the transgenics compared to wild type and decreased less after submergence treatments. Finally, transcript levels of selected genes involved in glycolisis and fermentative pathways as well as the corresponding enzymatic activities were assessed both, in sunflower and transgenic Arabidopsis plants, before and after submergence. Altogether, the present work leads us to propose HaHB11 as a biotechnological tool to improve crops yield, biomass and flooding tolerance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of partially stabilized zirconia on the biological properties of HA/HDPE composites in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadi, A Yari; Shokrgozar, M A; Homaeigohar, S Sh; Hosseinalipour, M; Khavandi, A; Javadpour, J

2006-05-01

The effect of partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) on the biological properties of the hyroxyapatite - high density polyethylene (HA/HDPE) composites was studied by investigating the simultaneous effect of hydroxyapatite and PSZ volume fractions on the in vitro response of human osteoblast cells. The biocompatibility of composite samples with different volume fraction of HA and PSZ powders was assessed by proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cell attachment assays on the osteoblast cell line (G-292) in different time periods. The effect of composites on the behavior of G-292 cells was compared with those of HDPE and TPS (Tissue Culture Poly Styrene as negative control) samples. Results showed a higher proliferation rate of G-292 cells in the presence of composite samples as compared to the HDPE sample after 7 and 14 days of incubation period. ALP production rate in all composite samples was higher than HDPE and TPS samples. The number of adhered cells on the composite samples was higher than the number adhered on the HDPE and TPS samples after the above mentioned incubation periods. These findings indicates that the addition of PSZ does not have any adverse affect on the biocompatibility of HA/HDPE composites. In fact in some experiments PSZ added HA/HDPE composites performed better in proliferation, differentiation and attachment of osteoblastic cells.

Trichomonas vaginalis Induces SiHa Cell Apoptosis by NF-κB Inactivation via Reactive Oxygen Species

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Juan-Hua; Kang, Byung-Hun; Yang, Jung-Bo; Rhee, Yun-Ee; Noh, Heung-Tae; Choi, In-Wook; Cha, Guang-Ho; Yuk, Jae-Min

2017-01-01

Trichomonas vaginalis induces apoptosis in host cells through various mechanisms; however, little is known about the relationship between apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and NF-κB signaling pathways in the cervical mucosal epithelium. Here, we evaluated apoptotic events, ROS production, and NF-κB activity in T. vaginalis-treated cervical mucosal epithelial SiHa cells, with or without specific inhibitors, using fluorescence microscopy, DNA fragmentation assays, subcellular fractionation, western blotting, and luciferase reporter assay. SiHa cells treated with live T. vaginalis at a multiplicity of infection of 5 (MOI 5) for 4 h produced intracellular and mitochondrial ROS in a parasite-load-dependent manner. Incubation with T. vaginalis caused DNA fragmentation, cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP, and release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. T. vaginalis-treated SiHa cells showed transient early NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation, which dramatically dropped at 4 h after treatment. Suppression of NF-κB activity was dependent on parasite burden. However, treatment with the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-C-cysteine (NAC), reversed the effect of T. vaginalis on apoptosis and NF-κB inactivation in SiHa cells. Taken together, T. vaginalis induces apoptosis in human cervical mucosal epithelial cells by parasite-dose-dependent ROS production through an NF-κB-regulated, mitochondria-mediated pathway. PMID:29410962

Trichomonas vaginalis Induces SiHa Cell Apoptosis by NF-κB Inactivation via Reactive Oxygen Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan-Hua Quan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Trichomonas vaginalis induces apoptosis in host cells through various mechanisms; however, little is known about the relationship between apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS, and NF-κB signaling pathways in the cervical mucosal epithelium. Here, we evaluated apoptotic events, ROS production, and NF-κB activity in T. vaginalis-treated cervical mucosal epithelial SiHa cells, with or without specific inhibitors, using fluorescence microscopy, DNA fragmentation assays, subcellular fractionation, western blotting, and luciferase reporter assay. SiHa cells treated with live T. vaginalis at a multiplicity of infection of 5 (MOI 5 for 4 h produced intracellular and mitochondrial ROS in a parasite-load-dependent manner. Incubation with T. vaginalis caused DNA fragmentation, cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP, and release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. T. vaginalis-treated SiHa cells showed transient early NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation, which dramatically dropped at 4 h after treatment. Suppression of NF-κB activity was dependent on parasite burden. However, treatment with the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-C-cysteine (NAC, reversed the effect of T. vaginalis on apoptosis and NF-κB inactivation in SiHa cells. Taken together, T. vaginalis induces apoptosis in human cervical mucosal epithelial cells by parasite-dose-dependent ROS production through an NF-κB-regulated, mitochondria-mediated pathway.

Fabrication and bioactivity behavior of HA/bioactive glass composites in the presence of calcium hexaboride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Bassyouni, Gehan T.; Beherei, Hanan H. [Biomaterials Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Mohamed, Khaled R., E-mail: kh_rezk1966@yahoo.com [Biomaterials Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Kenawy, Sayed H. [Ceramics Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Cairo (Egypt)

2016-06-01

In the current study, composites were prepared using both the synthesized nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA), bioactive glass (BG) powders (obtained by the traditional melt-quenching route) together with the purchased nano-sized calcium hexaboride (CB) with different ratios and were fired at 1250 °C. The structure and composition of the solid reaction products were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy; scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques and compressive strength. The mechanical testing was to designate the role of the CB in improving the mechanical property of the prepared composites. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared composites was assessed by soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ± 0.5 °°C for 10 days. The effect of different ratios of the three components (CB, HA & BG) on the bioactivity properties was assessed to explore the possibility of enhancing such property to perform in vitro imitations of in vivo conditions in the future. It can be pointed out that the Si-HA content in the composition showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity than pure hydroxyapatite which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized composites. - Highlights: • The prepared of nano-composites containing CB, HA and BG powders were achieved. • The addition of CB powder enhanced the compressive strength for all the composites. • The composites containing high BG and CB contents improved formation of bone-like apatite layer.

Fabrication and bioactivity behavior of HA/bioactive glass composites in the presence of calcium hexaboride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Bassyouni, Gehan T.; Beherei, Hanan H.; Mohamed, Khaled R.; Kenawy, Sayed H.

2016-01-01

In the current study, composites were prepared using both the synthesized nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA), bioactive glass (BG) powders (obtained by the traditional melt-quenching route) together with the purchased nano-sized calcium hexaboride (CB) with different ratios and were fired at 1250 °C. The structure and composition of the solid reaction products were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy; scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques and compressive strength. The mechanical testing was to designate the role of the CB in improving the mechanical property of the prepared composites. In vitro bioactivity of the prepared composites was assessed by soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 ± 0.5 °°C for 10 days. The effect of different ratios of the three components (CB, HA & BG) on the bioactivity properties was assessed to explore the possibility of enhancing such property to perform in vitro imitations of in vivo conditions in the future. It can be pointed out that the Si-HA content in the composition showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity than pure hydroxyapatite which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized composites. - Highlights: • The prepared of nano-composites containing CB, HA and BG powders were achieved. • The addition of CB powder enhanced the compressive strength for all the composites. • The composites containing high BG and CB contents improved formation of bone-like apatite layer.

Redes sociales y reputación en línea: el usuario de Twitter, gestión y recomendaciones sobre el uso y manejo empresarial de la herramienta

OpenAIRE

Agüero Pérez, María Mercedes

2014-01-01

Tesis inédita presentada en la Universidad Europea de Madrid. Tesis inédita presentada en la Universidad Europea de Madrid. Facultad de Artes y Comunicación. Programa de Doctorado en Comunicación El advenimiento de Twitter está variando la manera de publicar y consumir información. Asimismo la empresa, toda vez que ha observado el auge de este fenómeno, no ha obviado las posibilidades de interacción que le ofrece esta herramienta, y cada vez son más las compañías que dedican parte de su...

Perfil Logístico de Colombia – Sector textil y confecciones

OpenAIRE

Gomez Diaz, Stephania; Porras Rodriguez, Julian Felipe

2014-01-01

El sector textil en los últimos 10 años se ha caracterizado por pertenecer a uno de los rubros superiores frente a la economía nacional por lo cual actualmente se está enfrentando a economías emergentes como la china y a mercados como el americano con costos muchos más competentes. Este proyecto, describirá de manera específica el perfil logístico del sector textil en Colombia, el cual debido al auge que ha tenido en los últimos años es importante destacar la relevancia de la logística pa...

Caracterización molecular y celular de la biosíntesis de ácidos grasos poliinsaturados en plantas y su relación con la producción de oxilipinas

OpenAIRE

Lagunas Castán, Beatriz; Alfonso Lozano, Miguel

2013-01-01

Introducción/motivación: Los aceites de origen vegetal se han convertido en elementos clave para el desarrollo de los sectores agro-biotecnológico e industrial. Su producción está en auge, ya que se ha triplicado en los últimos 20 años y se espera que se duplique desde ahora a 2030 (Chapman y Ohlrogge, 2012). Los aceites vegetales se producen principalmente para la alimentación humana (aceites y margarinas), pero ha aumentado su uso en la industria química para la síntesis de multitud de pro...

Realidad Aumentada en Interiores: posicionamiento del usuario en dispositivos móviles y aplicaciones en rehabilitación y guiado (GuIAR)

OpenAIRE

Martínez Ospina, Anaolena

2013-01-01

La amplia difusión de los dispositivos móviles en el mercado actual ha puesto al alcance de la mano, altas capacidades de cómputo y diversidad de sensores. Esto ha posibilitado el auge de la Realidad Aumentada, lo cuál busca superponer información al mundo real con el fin de enriquecerlo para un fin determinado. Este trabajo presenta un estado de la cuestión sobre esta área de investigación y se centra específicamente en la Realidad Aumentada en espacios interiores. Uno de los principales pro...

L'auptòsia psicològica en l'homicidi d'autor desconegut (el vincle víctima-victimari: la rellevància del perfil victimològic per confeccionar el perfil criminal de l'homicida desconegut)

OpenAIRE

Moré Rodríguez, Rubén

2017-01-01

Històricament, la majoria de la recerca en la investigació criminal s'ha focalitzat en el victimari i l'iter criminis en detriment de l'estudi de la víctima i l'iter victimae. No obstant, atenent a l'auge de la victimologia forense, la Psicologia Criminal en l'àmbit del perfil criminològic ha pres més atenció al perfil victimològic, el qual constitueix l'estudi exhaustiu en termes retrospectius de tota la informació disponible de la víctima, en aquest cas no supervivent i d'homicidi d'autor d...

Aportaciones al proceso de creación de contenidos de realidad aumentada, orientados a formación, industria y construcción

OpenAIRE

Gimeno Sancho, Jesús

2015-01-01

La Realidad Aumentada (AR) consiste en aumentar la percepción que el usuario tiene del mundo real con información virtual que lo complementa. Esta característica de aumentar los sentidos, es deseable en muchos campos de aplicación, por lo que aunque es un campo de investigación relativamente joven, ha experimentado un gran auge en los últimos años. La evolución de cada uno de los procesos que componen un sistema AR, ha permitido que está tecnología traspase las puertas de los labora...

Haïti-Quisqueya: une double insularité

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Marie THÉODAT

1998-09-01

Full Text Available Deux pays se partagent une île coupée par une frontière méridienne de plus de 300 km: Haïti à l'ouest, Quisqueya à l'est. Cette coupure est l'héritage du partage colonial de l'île entre la France et l'Espagne, et le résultat de la dynamique spatiale contrastée des deux nations qui y sont nées et qui ont eu recours à des principes d'encadrement distincts.De là un sentiment de double insularité, chaque pays se comportant vis-à-vis de son voisin comme s'ils étaient situés sur deux îles séparées.

The hormesis effect of plasma-elevated intracellular ROS on HaCaT cells

Science.gov (United States)

Szili, Endre J.; Harding, Frances J.; Hong, Sung-Ha; Herrmann, Franziska; Voelcker, Nicolas H.; Short, Robert D.

2015-12-01

We have examined the link between ionized-gas plasma delivery of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells and cell fate, defined in terms of cell viability versus death. Phospholipid vesicles were used as cell mimics to measure the possible intracellular ROS concentration, [ROSi], delivered by various plasma treatments. Cells were exposed to a helium cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) jet for different plasma exposure times (5-60 s) and gas flow rates (50-1000 ml min-1). Based upon the [ROSi] data we argue that plasma-generated ROS in the cell culture medium can readily diffuse into real cells. Plasma exposure that equated to an [ROSi] in the range of 3.81  ×  10-10-9.47  ×  10-8 M, measured at 1 h after the plasma exposure, resulted in increased cell viability at 72 h; whereas a higher [ROSi] at 1 h decreased cell viability after 72 h of culture. This may be because of the manner in which the ROS are delivered by the plasma: HaCaT cells better tolerate a low ROS flux over an extended plasma exposure period of 1 min, compared to a high flux delivered in a few seconds, although the final [ROSi] may be the same. Our results suggest that plasma stimulation of HaCaT cells follows the principle of hormesis.

Bone Regeneration Using a Mixture of Silicon-Substituted Coral HA and β-TCP in a Rat Calvarial Bone Defect Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyeon Roh

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The demand of bone graft materials has been increasing. Among various origins of bone graft materials, natural coral composed of up to 99% calcium carbonate was chosen and converted into hydroxyapatite (HA; silicon was then substituted into the HA. Then, the Si-HA was mixed with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP in the ratios 100:0 (S100T0, 70:30 (S70T30, 60:40 (S60T40, and 50:50 (S50T50. The materials were implanted for four and eight weeks in a rat calvarial bone defect model (8 mm. The MBCPTM (HA:β-TCP = 60:40, Biomatalante, Vigneux de Bretagne, France was used as a control. After euthanasia, the bone tissue was analyzed by making histological slides. From the results, S60T40 showed the fastest bone regeneration in four weeks (p < 0.05. In addition, S60T40, S50T50, and MBCPTM showed significant new bone formation in eight weeks (p < 0.05. In conclusion, Si-HA/TCP showed potential as a bone graft material.

Clinical significance of combined determination of the changes of the serum ADA, HA and PIIIP levels in patients with hepatitis B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaoyan

2009-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of the changes of serum ADA, HA and PIIIP levels in patients with hepatitis B. Methods: Serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) (with biochemistry) and HA PIIIP (with RIA) levels were determined in 102 patients with hepatitis B of various stages and 35 controls. Results: Serum ADA, HA and PIIIP levels in patients with hepatitis B were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Particularly in patients with cirrhosis (n=13) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The serum ADA, HA and PIIIP levels were closely related to the diseases process of hepatitis B and were of great clinical values. (authors)

Füüsilise jõu kasutamise õiguslikud alused. Daschneri kaasus ja Saksamaa lennuohutusseadus / Walter Gropp

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Gropp, Walter

2007-01-01

7. aug. 1495 kuulutas Maximilian I, Saksa Rahva Püha Rooma Keisririigi keiser välja igavese maarahu. Maarahu oli seaduse jõuga ja keelas igaühe jaoks ja ajaliselt piiramatult veritasu ja igasuguse omaabi füüsilise jõu kasutamise kaudu. Inimväärikuse rikkumisest ja hädakaitsest Daschneri kaasuse ja Saksamaa lennuohutusseaduse näitel

The Effect of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticles on Hydroxyapatite (HA)/TiO2 Composite Coating Fabricated by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD)

Science.gov (United States)

Amirnejad, M.; Afshar, A.; Salehi, S.

2018-05-01

Composite coatings of Hydroxyapatite (HA) with ceramics, polymers and metals are used to modify the surface structure of implants. In this research, HA/TiO2 composite coating was fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on 316 stainless steel substrate. HA/TiO2 composite coatings with 5, 10 and 20 wt.% of TiO2, deposited at 40 V and 90 s as an optimum condition. The samples coated at this condition led to an adherent, continuous and crack-free coating. The influence of TiO2 content was studied by performing different characterization methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), corrosion resistance in simulated body fluid (SBF), coating's dissolution rate in physiological solution and bond strength to the substrate. The results showed that the higher amount of TiO2 in the composite coating led to increase in bond strength of coating to stainless steel substrate from 3 MPa for HA coating to 5.5 MPa for HA-20 wt.% TiO2 composite coating. In addition, it caused to reduction of corrosion current density of samples in the SBF solution from 18.92 μA/cm2 for HA coating to 6.35 μA/cm2 for HA-20 wt.% TiO2 composite coating.

The Effect of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticles on Hydroxyapatite (HA)/TiO2 Composite Coating Fabricated by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD)

Science.gov (United States)

Amirnejad, M.; Afshar, A.; Salehi, S.

2018-04-01

Composite coatings of Hydroxyapatite (HA) with ceramics, polymers and metals are used to modify the surface structure of implants. In this research, HA/TiO2 composite coating was fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on 316 stainless steel substrate. HA/TiO2 composite coatings with 5, 10 and 20 wt.% of TiO2, deposited at 40 V and 90 s as an optimum condition. The samples coated at this condition led to an adherent, continuous and crack-free coating. The influence of TiO2 content was studied by performing different characterization methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), corrosion resistance in simulated body fluid (SBF), coating's dissolution rate in physiological solution and bond strength to the substrate. The results showed that the higher amount of TiO2 in the composite coating led to increase in bond strength of coating to stainless steel substrate from 3 MPa for HA coating to 5.5 MPa for HA-20 wt.% TiO2 composite coating. In addition, it caused to reduction of corrosion current density of samples in the SBF solution from 18.92 μA/cm2 for HA coating to 6.35 μA/cm2 for HA-20 wt.% TiO2 composite coating.

In Vitro Degradation of PHBV Scaffolds and nHA/PHBV Composite Scaffolds Containing Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles for Bone Tissue Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naznin Sultana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated the long-term in vitro degradation properties of scaffolds based on biodegradable polymers and osteoconductive bioceramic/polymer composite materials for the application of bone tissue engineering. The three-dimensional porous scaffolds were fabricated using emulsion-freezing/freeze-drying technique using poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV which is a natural biodegradable and biocompatible polymer. Nanosized hydroxyapatite (nHA particles were successfully incorporated into the PHBV scaffolds to render the scaffolds osteoconductive. The PHBV and nHA/PHBV scaffolds were systematically evaluated using various techniques in terms of mechanical strength, porosity, porous morphology, and in vitro degradation. PHBV and nHA/PHBV scaffolds degraded over time in phosphate-buffered saline at 37°C. PHBV polymer scaffolds exhibited slow molecular weight loss and weight loss in the in vitro physiological environment. Accelerated weight loss was observed in nHA incorporated PHBV composite scaffolds. An increasing trend of crystallinity was observed during the initial period of degradation time. The compressive properties decreased more than 40% after 5-month in vitro degradation. Together with interconnected pores, high porosity, suitable mechanical properties, and slow degradation profile obtained from long-term degradation studies, the PHBV scaffolds and osteoconductive nHA/PHBV composite scaffolds showed promises for bone tissue engineering application.

A Human Clinical, Histological, Histomorphometrical, and Radiographical Study on Biphasic HA-Beta-TCP 30/70 in Maxillary Sinus Augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangano, Carlo; Sinjari, Bruna; Shibli, Jamil A; Mangano, Francesco; Hamisch, Sabine; Piattelli, Adriano; Perrotti, Vittoria; Iezzi, Giovanna

2015-06-01

By mixing hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics can be obtained, and by varying their ratio it is possible to tailor the characteristics of the biomaterial. The aim of the present human study was to evaluate the histological and radiographical aspects of bone formation in maxillary sinus augmentation using a 30/70 HA-beta-TCP with a reticular structure. A total of 12 patients, undergoing two-stage sinus augmentation procedure using HA-beta-TCP at a ratio of 30/70, were included in the present study. After a 6-month healing period, during implant insertion, radiographical analysis was performed, and then the bone core biopsies were harvested and processed for histology. At radiographic evaluation, the bone gain was on average 6.85 ± 0.60 mm. HA-beta-TCP 30/70 appeared to be lined by newly formed bone, with no gaps at the interface. The histomorphometric analysis revealed 26 ± 2% of residual grafted biomaterial, 29 ± 3% of newly formed bone, and 45 ± 2% of marrow spaces. The present results indicate histologically the high biocompatibility and osteoconductivity of HA-beta-TCP 30/70, and clinically its successful use for sinus augmentation procedures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vitro study of RRS HA injectable mesotherapy/biorevitalization product on human skin fibroblasts and its clinical utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Deglesne, Pierre-Antoine; Arroyo, Rodrigo; Ranneva, Evgeniya; Deprez, Philippe

2016-01-01

Mesotherapy/biorevitalization with hyaluronic acid (HA) is a treatment approach currently used for skin rejuvenation. Various products with a wide range of polycomponent formulations are available on the market. Most of these formulations contain noncross-linked HA in combination with a biorevitalization cocktail, formed by various amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides, coenzymes, and antioxidants. Although ingredients are very similar among the different products, in vitro and clinical effects may vary substantially. There is a real need for better characterization of these products in terms of their action on human skin or in vitro skin models. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the RRS(®) (Repairs, Refills, Stimulates) HA injectable medical device on human skin fibroblasts in vitro. Skin fibroblast viability and its capacity to induce the production of key extracellular matrix were evaluated in the presence of different concentrations of RRS HA injectable. Viability was evaluated through colorimetric MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay, and key extracellular matrix genes, type I collagen and elastin, were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results demonstrated that RRS HA injectable could promote human skin fibroblast viability (+15%) and increase fibroblast gene expression of type I collagen and elastin by 9.7-fold and 14-fold in vitro, respectively. These results demonstrate that mesotherapy/biorevitalization products can, at least in vitro, effectively modulate human skin fibroblasts.

Technology transfer and scale-up of the Flublok recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) influenza vaccine manufacturing process.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckland, Barry; Boulanger, Robert; Fino, Mireli; Srivastava, Indresh; Holtz, Kathy; Khramtsov, Nikolai; McPherson, Clifton; Meghrous, Jamal; Kubera, Paul; Cox, Manon M J

2014-09-22

Multiple different hemagglutinin (HA) protein antigens have been reproducibly manufactured at the 650L scale by Protein Sciences Corporation (PSC) based on an insect cell culture with baculovirus infection. Significantly, these HA protein antigens were produced by the same Universal Manufacturing process as described in the biological license application (BLA) for the first recombinant influenza vaccine approved by the FDA (Flublok). The technology is uniquely designed so that a change in vaccine composition can be readily accommodated from one HA protein antigen to another one. Here we present a vaccine candidate to combat the recently emerged H7N9 virus as an example starting with the genetic sequence for the required HA, creation of the baculovirus and ending with purified protein antigen (or vaccine component) at the 10L scale accomplished within 38 days under GMP conditions. The same process performance is being achieved at the 2L, 10L, 100L, 650L and 2500L scale. An illustration is given of how the technology was transferred from the benchmark 650L scale facility to a retrofitted microbial facility at the 2500L scale within 100 days which includes the time for facility engineering changes. The successful development, technology transfer and scale-up of the Flublok process has major implications for being ready to make vaccine rapidly on a worldwide scale as a defense against pandemic influenza. The technology described does not have the same vulnerability to mutations in the egg adapted strain, and resulting loss in vaccine efficacy, faced by egg based manufacture. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr composites for biomedical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Debao; Liu, Yichi; Zhao, Yue; Huang, Y; Chen, Minfang

2017-08-01

The hot deformation behavior of nano-sized hydroxylapatite (HA) reinforced Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr composites were performed by means of Gleeble-1500D thermal simulation machine in a temperature range of 523-673K and a strain rate range of 0.001-1s -1 , and the microstructure evolution during hot compression deformation were also investigated. The results show that the flow stress increases increasing strain rates at a constant temperature, and decreases with increasing deforming temperatures at a constant strain rate. Under the same processing conditions, the flow stresses of the 1HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr specimens are higher than those of the Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr alloy specimens, and the difference is getting closer with increasing deformation temperature. The hot deformation behaviors of Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr and 1HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr can be described by constitutive equation of hyperbolic sine function with the hot deformation activation energy being 124.6kJ/mol and 125.3kJ/mol, respectively. Comparing with Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr alloy, the instability region in the process map of 1HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr expanded to a bigger extent at the same conditions. The optimum process conditions of 1HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr composite is concluded as between the temperature window of 573-623K with a strain rate range of 0.001-0.1s -1 . A higher volume fraction and smaller grain size of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grains was observed in 1HA/Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr specimens after the hot compression deformation compared with Mg-3Zn-0.8Zr alloy, which was ascribed to the presence of the HA particles that play an important role in particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism and can effectively hinder the migration of interfaces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Is It Time to Rename PCOS to HA-PODS?

Science.gov (United States)

Khadilkar, Suvarna Satish

2016-04-01

The term polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) came into existence 80 years ago. Pathophysiology of PCOS remains ill understood despite extensive research in this field. It is now accepted that the manifestations of PCOS are not confined to the reproductive dysfunction, and there are endocrine-metabolic implications to PCOS with several consequences to female health. PCOS is a misnomer as ovaries do not contain epithelial cysts, but they are actually antral follicles. Moreover, the name PCOS neither reflects the hyperandrogenism which is essential for diagnosis nor the metabolic derangements. While various authors have expressed the need for change of the name, a suitable new option has not yet been established. This review aims to analyse the current understanding of pathophysiology of PCOS and addresses to the controversies associated with its diagnosis and nomenclature. The name "Hyperandrogenic Persistent Ovulatory Dysfunction Syndrome or HA-PODS" is proposed here to overcome diagnostic pitfalls of previous nomenclature. This new name will help formulate appropriate treatment and promote consistency in research as well. Further categorizations of HA-PODS are also discussed in the article.

Investigation of morphology and bioactive properties of composite coating of HA/vinyl acetate on pure titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afshar, Abdollahe; Yousefpour, Mardali; Xiudong, Yang; Li Xudong; Yang Bangcheng; Wu Yao; Chen Jiyong; Zhang Xingdong

2006-01-01

Electrochemical co-deposition approach was expanded to prepare composite bio-ceramic coating of hydroxyapatite (HA)/polyvinyl acetate on the surface of titanium. The role is to improve the bioactive and crystallization properties. The results of XRD, XPS, SEM and TEM characterization showed that by increasing amount of vinyl acetate in the composite bio-ceramic coating before and after immersing in the simulated body fluid (SBF), an oriented growth of HA planes on the (0 0 2) direction had been observed on titanium substrate. Also significant surface morphology changes were obtained

Structure and transcription of the Helicoverpa armigera densovirus (HaDV2) genome and its expression strategy in LD652 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Pengjun; Graham, Robert I; Wilson, Kenneth; Wu, Kongming

2017-02-07

Densoviruses (DVs) are highly pathogenic to their hosts. However, we previously reported a mutualistic DV (HaDV2). Very little was known about the characteristics of this virus, so herein we undertook a series of experiments to explore the molecular biology of HaDV2 further. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HaDV2 was similar to members of the genus Iteradensovirus. However, compared to current members of the genus Iteradensovirus, the sequence identity of HaDV2 is less than 44% at the nucleotide-level, and lower than 36, 28 and 19% at the amino-acid-level of VP, NS1 and NS2 proteins, respectively. Moreover, NS1 and NS2 proteins from HaDV2 were smaller than those from other iteradensoviruses due to their shorter N-terminal sequences. Two transcripts of about 2.2 kb coding for the NS proteins and the VP proteins were identified by Northern Blot and RACE analysis. Using specific anti-NS1 and anti-NS2 antibodies, Western Blot analysis revealed a 78 kDa and a 48 kDa protein, respectively. Finally, the localization of both NS1 and NS2 proteins within the cell nucleus was determined by using Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) labelling. The genome organization, terminal hairpin structure, transcription and expression strategies as well as the mutualistic relationship with its host, suggested that HaDV2 was a novel member of the genus Iteradensovirus within the subfamily Densovirinae.

Euroveokid soosivad Venemaal käies üha enam Via Hanseaticat / Madis Aesma

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Aesma, Madis

2005-01-01

Ajal. Postimees lüh. Pärast Balti riikide ühinemist Euroopa Liiduga kasutavad välismaa veoautojuhid üha enam Euroopast Venemaale sõitmiseks Valga-Tartu-Jõhvi-Narva maanteed, mis moodustab Via Hanseatica ehk Hansatee Eesti osa. Lisa: Via Hanseatica. Kaart: Visa Hanseatica

Áreas metropolitanas:¿qué ha cambiado?: La experiencia de la Caracas Metropolitana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Barrios

2001-05-01

Full Text Available La nueva economía de la información y del conocimiento ha tenido tres decisivas implicaciones de orden territorial. Primero, ha acelerado el proceso de aglomeración urbana a escala planetaria. Segundo, ha provocado fuertes alteraciones en las redes urbanas de ámbito mundial, regional y nacional. Y tercero, ha impulsado la reestructuración interna de las áreas metropolitanas que se habían conformado durante la era industrial. Todo parece anticipar, por lo tanto, polarizaciones y fragmentaciones territoriales todavía más acentuadas que las conocidas en un pasado cercano. Tomando como referencia el caso de Caracas, se trata de averiguar en qué medida el desarrollo reciente de esta metrópoli sigue las grandes tendencias territoriales antes anotadas; y qué esfuerzos se están haciendo para ajustar sus instancias locales a las nuevas realidades urbanas. Como un recurso adicional, en distintos momentos se establecen comparaciones con Barcelona (España, considerada un ejemplo emblemático de las metrópolis de la era de la informaciónThe developments of new informational and knowledge-based economies have had three decisive implications at the territorial level. First, it has accelerated the urban agglomeration processes worldwide. Second, it has brought about substantial alterations in the existing global, regional and national urban networks. Finally, it has triggered the internal restructuring of former industrial-based metropolitan areas. All this seems to anticipate that territorial polarization and fragmentation will reach higher levels than those we have observed in the recent past. Taking the case of Caracas as a reference point, the intention is to find out to what extent the recent development of this metropolis follows the main territorial trends mentioned above. Interest is also placed in finding what steps are being taken in order to adjust its local levels of government to the new urban realities. In addition, comparisons are

(+)-Nootkatone inhibits tumor necrosis factor α/interferon γ-induced production of chemokines in HaCaT cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Hyeon-Jae; Lee, Jin-Hwee [College of Pharmacy, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Yi-Sook, E-mail: yisjung@ajou.ac.kr [College of Pharmacy, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-02

Highlights: • (+)-Nootkatone inhibits TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC and MDC expression in HaCaT cells. • PKCζ, p38 MAPK, or NF-κB mediate TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC and MDC expression. • (+)-Nootkatone inhibits TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced activation of PKCζ, p38 MAPK, or NF-κB. • (+)-Nootkatone suppresses chemokine expression by inhibiting of PKCζ and p38 pathways. - Abstract: Chemokines are important mediators of cell migration, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) are well-known typical inflammatory chemokines involved in atopic dermatitis (AD). (+)-Nootkatone is the major component of Cyperus rotundus. (+)-Nootkatone has antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of (+)-nootkatone on tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)/interferon γ (IFN-γ)-induced expression of Th2 chemokines in HaCaT cells. We found that (+)-nootkatone inhibited the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced expression of TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 mRNA in HaCaT cells. It also significantly inhibited TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ). Furthermore, we showed that PKCζ and p38 MAPK contributed to the inhibition of TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 expression by blocking IκBα degradation in HaCaT cells. Taken together, these results suggest that (+)-nootkatone may suppress TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 expression in HaCaT cells by inhibiting of PKCζ and p38 MAPK signaling pathways that lead to activation of NF-κB. We propose that (+)-nootkatone may be a useful therapeutic candidate for inflammatory skin diseases such as AD.

Patrimonio cultural y turismo, una alternativa de desarrollo: caso Viotá, Cundinamarca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Javier Martínez Herrera

2016-06-01

Los bienes culturales son parte del turismo porque generan experiencias en los turistas y visitantes. De acuerdo con la experiencia en trabajo de campo, el patrimonio cultural existente está deteriorado y en total abandono porque los propietarios no tienen los recursos para conservarlo, las vías que los conectan se encuentran en mal estado, no hay señalización y el costo de viaje es alto.

HaCaT Keratinocytes and Primary Epidermal Keratinocytes Have Different Transcriptional Profiles of Cornified Envelope-Associated Genes to T Helper Cell Cytokines

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Min-Duk; Kang, Tae Jin; Lee, Chang Hoon; Lee, Ai-Young; Noh, Minsoo

2012-01-01

HaCaT cells are the immortalized human keratinocytes and have been extensively used to study the epidermal homeostasis and its pathophysiology. T helper cells play a role in various chronic dermatological conditions and they can affect skin barrier homeostasis. To evaluate whether HaCaT cells can be used as a model cell system to study abnormal skin barrier development in various dermatologic diseases, we analyzed the gene expression profile of epidermal differentiation markers of HaCaT cells in response to major T helper (Th) cell cytokines, such as IFNγ, IL-4, IL-17A and IL-22. The gene transcriptional profile of cornified envelope-associated proteins, such as filaggrin, loricrin, involucrin and keratin 10 (KRT10), in HaCaT cells was generally different from that in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). This suggests that HaCaT cells have a limitation as a model system to study the pathophysiological mechanism associated with the Th cell cytokine-dependent changes in cornified envelope-associated proteins which are essential for normal skin barrier development. In contrast, the gene transcription profile change of human β2-defensin (HBD2) in response to IFNγ, IL-4 or IL-17A in HaCaT cells was consistent with the expression pattern of NHKs. IFNγ also up-regulated transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) gene transcription in both HaCaT cells and NHKs. As an alternative cell culture system for NHKs, HaCaT cells can be used to study molecular mechanisms associated with abnormal HBD2 and TGM2 expression in response to IFNγ, IL-4 or IL-17A. PMID:24116291

Extraction of hyaluronic acid (HA) from rooster comb and characterization using flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF) coupled with multiangle light scattering (MALS).

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dong Young; Kim, Won-Suk; Heo, In Sook; Park, Young Hun; Lee, Seungho

2010-11-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) was extracted in a relatively large scale from rooster comb using a method similar to that reported previously. The extraction method was modified to simplify and to reduce time and cost in order to accommodate a large-scale extraction. Five hundred grams of frozen rooster combs yielded about 500 mg of dried HA. Extracted HA was characterized using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF) coupled online to a multiangle light scattering detector and a refractive index detector to determine the molecular size, molecular weight (MW) distribution, and molecular conformation of HA. For characterization of HA, AsFlFFF was operated by a simplified two-step procedure, instead of the conventional three-step procedure, where the first two steps (sample loading and focusing) were combined into one to avoid the adsorption of viscous HA onto the channel membrane. The simplified two-step AsFlFFF yielded reasonably good separations of HA molecules based on their MWs. The weight average MW (M(w) ) and the average root-mean-square (RMS) radius of HA extracted from rooster comb were 1.20×10(6) and 94.7 nm, respectively. When the sample solution was filtered through a 0.45 μm disposable syringe filter, they were reduced down to 3.8×10(5) and 50.1 nm, respectively. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Injection of an antibody against a p21 c-Ha-ras protein inhibits cleavage in axolotl eggs.

OpenAIRE

Baltus, E; Hanocq-Quertier, J; Hanocq, F; Brachet, J

1988-01-01

The presence of a ras protein was demonstrated in cleaving axolotl eggs by selective immunoprecipitation with a polyclonal antibody against a peptide encoded by the c-Ha-ras oncogene, cellular homolog of the v-Ha-ras oncogene of Harvey rat sarcoma virus. Injection of this antibody into axolotl oocytes subjected to progesterone treatment does not prevent meiotic maturation. Injection of the same antibody into a blastomere of axolotl eggs at the 2- or 4-cell stage causes cleavage arrest in the ...

Dihydrotestosterone induces SREBP-1 expression and lipogenesis through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway in HaCaT cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhou Bing-rong

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of dihydrotestosterone (DHT-induced expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1, and the synthesis and secretion of lipids, in HaCaT cells. HaCaT cells were treated with DHT and either the phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 or the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK inhibitor PD98059. Real time-PCR, Western blot, Oil Red staining and flow cytometry were employed to examine the mRNA and protein expressions of SREBP-1, the gene transcription of lipid synthesis, and lipid secretion in HaCaT cells. Findings We found that DHT upregulated mRNA and protein expressions of SREBP-1. DHT also significantly upregulated the transcription of lipid synthesis-related genes and increased lipid secretion, which can be inhibited by the addition of LY294002. Conclusions Collectively, these results indicate that DHT induces SREBP-1 expression and lipogenesis in HaCaT cells via activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt Pathway.

Bâtir un avenir pour Haïti grâce aux études supérieures | CRDI ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

9 mai 2017 ... Image. Un membre du Groupe de Réflexion et d'Action pour une Haïti nouvelle. CRDI. Le tremblement de terre d'une magnitude de 7,0 qui a frappé Haïti en janvier 2010 a touché particulièrement durement les universités de ce pays. Les secousses sismiques ont détruit des immeubles, et quelque 100 000 ...

Supporting Timely Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Decisions Through Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Tools

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-22

APPENDIX D: JUBA HA/DR COP SHARED VIA A GOOGLE EARTH ® KML FILE ........... 60 APPENDIX E: GEOINT REFERENCE AIDS...2003 and 2012................. 51 Figure 13. JTF-Haiti (27 Jan 10): DPs, IDP groups, flood and landslide risks. ............................. 57...Figure 14. Juba HA/DR COP displayed in Google Earth ® ........................................................... 60 Figure 15. Overview of GEOINT data

Production of light fragments in hA collisions at high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, M.A.; Vechernin, V.V.

1988-12-01

Production of fast relativistic light fragments in hA collisions at high energies is considered. Direct coalescence of produced nucleons into fragments is shown to be the main mechanism for fragment production. The influence of the nuclear field is small and is not described by the well-known Butler-Pearson formulas. The coalescence coefficient strongly depends on the angle and on the behaviour of the fragment wave function at small internucleon distances. (author). 14 refs, 7 figs

Cobalt toxicity: Chemical and radiological combined effects on HaCaT keratinocyte cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandre, C.; Moulin, C.; Bresson, C.; Gault, N.; Poncy, J. L.; Lefaix, J. L.

2010-01-01

Cobalt (Co) is an essential trace element well known as a constituent of vitamin B 12 , but different compounds of Co are also described as highly toxic and/or radio-toxic for individuals or the environment. In nuclear power plants, 58 Co and 60 Co are radioactive isotopes of cobalt present as activation products of stable Co and Ni used in alloys. Skin exposure is a current occupational risk in the hard metal and nuclear industries. As biochemical and molecular cobalt-induced toxicological mechanisms are not fully identified, we investigated cobalt toxicity in a model human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. In this study, we propose a model to determine the in vitro chemical impact on cell viability of a soluble form of cobalt (CoCl 2 ) with or without gamma-ray doses to mimic contamination by 60 Co, to elucidate the mechanisms of cobalt intracellular chemical and radiological toxicity. Intracellular cobalt concentration was determined after HaCaT cell contamination and chemical toxicity was evaluated in terms of cellular viability and clonogenic survival. We investigated damage to DNA in HaCaT cells by combined treatment with chemical cobalt and a moderate gamma-ray dose. Additive effects of cobalt and irradiation were demonstrated. The underlying mechanism of cobalt toxicity is not clearly established, but our results seem to indicate that the toxicity of Co(II) and of irradiation arises from production of reactive oxygen species. (authors)

Cobalt toxicity: Chemical and radiological combined effects on HaCaT keratinocyte cell line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gault, N. [CEA Fontenay aux Roses, DSV/IRCM/SCSR/LRTS, 92265 Fontenay aux Rose (France); Sandre, C.; Moulin, B.; Bresson, C. [CEA, DEN, SECR, Laboratoire de Speciation des Radionucleides et des Molecules, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Poncy, J.L. [CEA Bruyeres Le Chatel, DSV/IRCM/SREIT/LRT, 91680 Bruyeres Le Chatel (France); Lefaix, J.L. [CEA Caen, DSV/IRCM/SRO/LARIA, 14070 Caen (France)

2010-07-01

Cobalt (Co) is an essential trace element well known as a constituent of vitamin B12, but different compounds of Co are also described as highly toxic and/or radio-toxic for individuals or the environment. In nuclear power plants, {sup 58}Co and {sup 60}Co are radioactive isotopes of cobalt present as activation products of stable Co and Ni used in alloys. Skin exposure is a current occupational risk in the hard metal and nuclear industries. As biochemical and molecular cobalt-induced toxicological mechanisms are not fully identified, we investigated cobalt toxicity in a model human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. In this study, we propose a model to determine the in vitro chemical impact on cell viability of a soluble form of cobalt (CoCl{sub 2}) with or without {gamma}-ray doses to mimic contamination by {sup 60}Co, to elucidate the mechanisms of cobalt intracellular chemical and radiological toxicity. Intracellular cobalt concentration was determined after HaCaT cell contamination and chemical toxicity was evaluated in terms of cellular viability and clonogenic survival. We investigated damage to DNA in HaCaT cells by combined treatment with chemical cobalt and a moderate {gamma}-ray dose. Additive effects of cobalt and irradiation were demonstrated. The underlying mechanism of cobalt toxicity is not clearly established, but our results seem to indicate that the toxicity of Co(II) and of irradiation arises from production of reactive oxygen species. (authors)

Cobalt toxicity: Chemical and radiological combined effects on HaCaT keratinocyte cell line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandre, C.; Moulin, C.; Bresson, C. [CEA Saclay, DEN, SECR, Lab Speciat Radionucleides and Mol, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette (France); Gault, N. [CEA Fontenay Roses, DSV IRCM SCSR LRTS, F-92265 Fontenay Aux Roses (France); Poncy, J. L. [CEA Bruyeres Le Chatel, DSV IRCM SREIT LRT, F-91680 Bruyeres Le Chatel (France); Lefaix, J. L. [CEA Caen, DSV IRCM SRO LARIA, F-14070 Caen (France)

2010-07-01

Cobalt (Co) is an essential trace element well known as a constituent of vitamin B{sub 12}, but different compounds of Co are also described as highly toxic and/or radio-toxic for individuals or the environment. In nuclear power plants, {sup 58}Co and {sup 60}Co are radioactive isotopes of cobalt present as activation products of stable Co and Ni used in alloys. Skin exposure is a current occupational risk in the hard metal and nuclear industries. As biochemical and molecular cobalt-induced toxicological mechanisms are not fully identified, we investigated cobalt toxicity in a model human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. In this study, we propose a model to determine the in vitro chemical impact on cell viability of a soluble form of cobalt (CoCl{sub 2}) with or without gamma-ray doses to mimic contamination by {sup 60}Co, to elucidate the mechanisms of cobalt intracellular chemical and radiological toxicity. Intracellular cobalt concentration was determined after HaCaT cell contamination and chemical toxicity was evaluated in terms of cellular viability and clonogenic survival. We investigated damage to DNA in HaCaT cells by combined treatment with chemical cobalt and a moderate gamma-ray dose. Additive effects of cobalt and irradiation were demonstrated. The underlying mechanism of cobalt toxicity is not clearly established, but our results seem to indicate that the toxicity of Co(II) and of irradiation arises from production of reactive oxygen species. (authors)

Determination of Ca/P molar ratio in hydroxyapatite (HA) by X-ray fluorescence technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scapin, Marcos A.; Guilhen, Sabine N.; Cotrim, Marycel E.B.; Pires, Maria Ap. F.

2015-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a mineral composed of calcium phosphate employed for endodontics, restorative dentistry and other applications in orthopedics and prosthesis. Additionally, this biomaterial is an inexpensive but efficient adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals and other unwanted species of contaminated liquid effluents. This is especially interesting when low-cost effective remediation is required. A Ca / P molar ratio of 1.667 is consistent with the theoretical Ca / P ratio for calcium hydroxyapatite with a compositional formula of Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 , which properties are well discussed in the literature. The aim of this work was to implement and validate a methodology for simultaneous determination of major and minor constituents in the hydroxyapatite (HA) as well as providing the Ca / P molar ratio. To accomplish these achievements, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WDXRF) was applied. This is a non-destructive technique that requires no chemical treatment, enabling fast chemical analysis in a wide variety of samples, with no hazardous waste being generated as a result of the process of determination. A standard reference material from NIST (SRM 1400 – Bone Ash) was used to validate the methodology for the determination of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, strontium and the Ca / P ratio in HA samples by WDXRF. The Z-score test was applied as a statistical tool and showed that the calculated values were of less than 1.8 for all the measured analytes. (author)

Determination of Ca/P molar ratio in hydroxyapatite (HA) by X-ray fluorescence technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scapin, Marcos A.; Guilhen, Sabine N.; Cotrim, Marycel E.B.; Pires, Maria Ap. F., E-mail: mascapin@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a mineral composed of calcium phosphate employed for endodontics, restorative dentistry and other applications in orthopedics and prosthesis. Additionally, this biomaterial is an inexpensive but efficient adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals and other unwanted species of contaminated liquid effluents. This is especially interesting when low-cost effective remediation is required. A Ca / P molar ratio of 1.667 is consistent with the theoretical Ca / P ratio for calcium hydroxyapatite with a compositional formula of Ca{sub 10}(PO{sub 4}){sub 6}(OH){sub 2}, which properties are well discussed in the literature. The aim of this work was to implement and validate a methodology for simultaneous determination of major and minor constituents in the hydroxyapatite (HA) as well as providing the Ca / P molar ratio. To accomplish these achievements, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WDXRF) was applied. This is a non-destructive technique that requires no chemical treatment, enabling fast chemical analysis in a wide variety of samples, with no hazardous waste being generated as a result of the process of determination. A standard reference material from NIST (SRM 1400 – Bone Ash) was used to validate the methodology for the determination of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, strontium and the Ca / P ratio in HA samples by WDXRF. The Z-score test was applied as a statistical tool and showed that the calculated values were of less than 1.8 for all the measured analytes. (author)

In vitro study of RRS HA injectable mesotherapy/biorevitalization product on human skin fibroblasts and its clinical utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deglesne PA

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Pierre-Antoine Deglesne,* Rodrigo Arroyo,* Evgeniya Ranneva, Philippe Deprez Research and Development, SKIN TECH PHARMA GROUP, Castelló d'Empúries, Spain  *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Mesotherapy/biorevitalization with hyaluronic acid (HA is a treatment approach currently used for skin rejuvenation. Various products with a wide range of polycomponent formulations are available on the market. Most of these formulations contain noncross-linked HA in combination with a biorevitalization cocktail, formed by various amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides, coenzymes, and antioxidants. Although ingredients are very similar among the different products, in vitro and clinical effects may vary substantially. There is a real need for better characterization of these products in terms of their action on human skin or in vitro skin models. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the RRS® (Repairs, Refills, Stimulates HA injectable medical device on human skin fibroblasts in vitro. Skin fibroblast viability and its capacity to induce the production of key extracellular matrix were evaluated in the presence of different concentrations of RRS HA injectable. Viability was evaluated through colorimetric MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, and key extracellular matrix genes, type I collagen and elastin, were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results demonstrated that RRS HA injectable could promote human skin fibroblast viability (+15% and increase fibroblast gene expression of type I collagen and elastin by 9.7-fold and 14-fold in vitro, respectively. These results demonstrate that mesotherapy/biorevitalization products can, at least in vitro, effectively modulate human skin fibroblasts.Keywords: mesotherapy, medical device, RRS, collagen, elastin, extracellular matrix

Translation Initiation from Conserved Non-AUG Codons Provides Additional Layers of Regulation and Coding Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivaylo P. Ivanov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Neurospora crassa cpc-1 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae GCN4 are homologs specifying transcription activators that drive the transcriptional response to amino acid limitation. The cpc-1 mRNA contains two upstream open reading frames (uORFs in its >700-nucleotide (nt 5′ leader, and its expression is controlled at the level of translation in response to amino acid starvation. We used N. crassa cell extracts and obtained data indicating that cpc-1 uORF1 and uORF2 are functionally analogous to GCN4 uORF1 and uORF4, respectively, in controlling translation. We also found that the 5′ region upstream of the main coding sequence of the cpc-1 mRNA extends for more than 700 nucleotides without any in-frame stop codon. For 100 cpc-1 homologs from Pezizomycotina and from selected Basidiomycota, 5′ conserved extensions of the CPC1 reading frame are also observed. Multiple non-AUG near-cognate codons (NCCs in the CPC1 reading frame upstream of uORF2, some deeply conserved, could potentially initiate translation. At least four NCCs initiated translation in vitro. In vivo data were consistent with initiation at NCCs to produce N-terminally extended N. crassa CPC1 isoforms. The pivotal role played by CPC1, combined with its translational regulation by uORFs and NCC utilization, underscores the emerging significance of noncanonical initiation events in controlling gene expression.

Perfil neuropsicológico de niños con dislalias: alteraciones mnésicas y atencionales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Conde-Guzón

2014-10-01

Full Text Available En este estudio se pretende investigar el funcionamiento neuropsicológico de niños con dislalias. 34 niños con dislalia múltiple (distorsión o sustitución articulatoria de tres fonemas: /r/, /l/ y /s/ y exploración neurológica normal fueron comparados con 28 niños sin problemas del habla. El perfil neuropsicológico se estima mediante la Escala de Inteligencia Wechsler para Niños-Revisada (WISC-R y la Batería Neuropsicológica Luria-DNI. Los resultados indican que los niños dislálicos presentan: a un perfil mnésico globalmente deteriorado respecto al grupo de referencia aunque están preservado la memoria remota y la memoria de formas; b alteraciones en cinestesia y estereognosia; c problemas atencionales. Estos resultados indican que los niños dislálicos presentan problemas mnésicos y atencionales similares a los manifestados por niños con problemas de lenguaje secundarios a daño cerebral o afectaciones orgánicas o psicolingüísticas importantes. Debemos considerar este perfil neuropsicológico deteriorado en la orientación neurológica y psicoeducativa de estos niños.

BIOÉTICA:REFERENTE METODOLÓGICO PARA LA CREACIÓN DE CULTURA CIUDADANA EN LOS COLOMBIANOS FRENTE A LA LABOR DEL POLICÍA DE VIGILANCIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Yackelin Diaz Rodriguez

2017-07-01

Full Text Available La sociedad actual ha cambiado la forma de comportarse, el aumento de conflictos sociales es una muestra de que se han perdido muchos valores y que la cultura ciudadana se ha deteriorado hasta el punto de perder el respeto por la autoridad. En este sentido es necesario un mecanismo que permita recuperar esa cultura de tolerancia, respeto y sana convivencia, que las comunidades entiendan la importancia de la labor de los policías de vigilancia para el orden social. Es por esto que se concibe a la Bioética como el mecanismo que permite recuperar los valores éticos y morales de los colombianos, que cada persona adquiera el compromiso de trabajar por el bien común desde el dialogo, la tolerancia y el respeto. Se trata de encontrar un equilibrio entre la labor del policía de vigilancia y el papel de cada persona como miembro de una sociedad, que la responsabilidad de velar por la paz de una nación no depende sólo de unos actores sino de todos. Gracias a la opinión de diferentes autores sobre cómo puede influir la Bioética en la recuperación de valores que se han perdido en la humanidad, y los casos encontrados sobre el maltrato físico y psicológico del que han sido víctimas los policías de vigilancia en su ejercicio; fue posible determinar la importancia y necesidad de rescatar los principios de cultura ciudadana y que la Bioética ofrece los mecanismos apropiados para lograrlo

Procesos cognitivos en el aprendizaje sobre material escrito: implicaciones para la enseñanza

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Jesús RODA SALINAS

2009-11-01

Full Text Available El auge de las orientaciones cognitivistas en Psicología ha contribuido, entre otros factores, a la reconsideración de ciertos procesos y especialmente la memoria, como capacidades fundamentales de la actividad inteligente. El reflejo en el ámbito educativo no se ha hecho esperar y podemos decir que asistimos a una etapa de recuperación histórica del valor de las estrategias de enseñanza orientadas hacia el almacenamiento de información. No es difícil en nuestros días leer en distintos medios, más o menos especializados, opiniones en favor de esta recuperación.

Caveolin-1 down-regulation is required for Wnt5a-Frizzled 2 signalling in Ha-RasV12 -induced cell transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hsiu-Kuan; Lin, Hsi-Hui; Chiou, Yu-Wei; Wu, Ching-Lung; Chiu, Wen-Tai; Tang, Ming-Jer

2018-05-01

Caveolin-1 (Cav1) is down-regulated during MK4 (MDCK cells harbouring inducible Ha-Ras V12 gene) transformation by Ha-Ras V12 . Cav1 overexpression abrogates the Ha-Ras V12 -driven transformation of MK4 cells; however, the targeted down-regulation of Cav1 is not sufficient to mimic this transformation. Cav1-silenced cells, including MK4/shCav1 cells and MDCK/shCav1 cells, showed an increased cell area and discontinuous junction-related proteins staining. Cellular and mechanical transformations were completed when MDCK/shCav1 cells were treated with medium conditioned by MK4 cells treated with IPTG (MK4+I-CM) but not with medium conditioned by MK4 cells. Nanoparticle tracking analysis showed that Ha-Ras V12 -inducing MK4 cells increased exosome-like microvesicles release compared with their normal counterparts. The cellular and mechanical transformation activities of MK4+I-CM were abolished after heat treatment and exosome depletion and were copied by exosomes derived from MK4+I-CM (MK4+I-EXs). Wnt5a, a downstream product of Ha-Ras V12 , was markedly secreted by MK4+I-CM and MK4+I-EXs. Suppression of Wnt5a expression and secretion using the porcupine inhibitor C59 or Wnt5a siRNA inhibited the Ha-Ras V12 - and MK4+I-CM-induced transformation of MK4 cells and MDCK/shCav1 cells, respectively. Cav1 down-regulation, either by Ha-Ras V12 or targeted shRNA, increased frizzled-2 (Fzd2) protein levels without affecting its mRNA levels, suggesting a novel role of Cav1 in negatively regulating Fzd2 expression. Additionally, silencing Cav1 facilitated the internalization of MK4+I-EXs in MDCK cells. These data suggest that Cav1-dependent repression of Fzd2 and exosome uptake is potentially relevant to its antitransformation activity, which hinders the activation of Ha-Ras V12 -Wnt5a-Stat3 pathway. Altogether, these results suggest that both decreasing Cav1 and increasing exosomal Wnt5a must be implemented during Ha-Ras V12 -driven cell transformation. © 2018 The Authors

Topical stabilized retinol treatment induces the expression of HAS genes and HA production in human skin in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen-Hwa; Wong, Heng-Kuan; Serrano, José; Randhawa, Manpreet; Kaur, Simarna; Southall, Michael D; Parsa, Ramine

2017-05-01

Skin Aging manifests primarily with wrinkles, dyspigmentations, texture changes, and loss of elasticity. During the skin aging process, there is a loss of moisture and elasticity in skin resulting in loss of firmness finally leading to skin sagging. The key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronic acid (HA), which has a significant water-binding capacity. HA levels in skin decline with age resulting in decrease in skin moisture, which may contribute to loss of firmness. Clinical trials have shown that topically applied ROL effectively reduces wrinkles and helps retain youthful appearance. In the current study, ROL was shown to induce HA production and stimulates the gene expression of all three forms of hyaluronic acid synthases (HAS) in normal human epidermal keratinocytes monolayer cultures. Moreover, in human skin equivalent tissues and in human skin explants, topical treatment of tissues with a stabilized-ROL formulation significantly induced the gene expression of HAS mRNA concomitant with an increased HA production. Finally, in a vehicle-controlled human clinical study, histochemical analysis confirmed increased HA accumulation in the epidermis in ROL-treated human skin as compared to vehicle. These results show that ROL increases skin expression of HA, a significant contributing factor responsible for wrinkle formation and skin moisture, which decrease during aging. Taken together with the activity to increase collagen, elastin, and cell proliferation, these studies establish that retinol provides multi-functional activity for photodamaged skin.

A multi-scaled hybrid orthopedic implant: bone ECM-shaped Sr-HA nanofibers on the microporous walls of a macroporous titanium scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yong; Zhou, Jianhong; Zhang, Lan; Xu, Kewei

2011-07-08

We report here, for the first time, a novel multi-scaled hybrid orthopedic implant material consisting of a macroporous Ti scaffold, whose macropores' walls have a microporous titania layer which is fully covered with nanofibers of Sr-doped hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA). The microporous titania layer is formed on and within the Ti scaffold by micro-arc oxidation, which firmly binds to the Ti substrate and contains Ca2+, Sr2+ and PO4(3-) ions. It is then hydrothermally treated to form Sr-HA nanofibers. During the hydrothermal treatment, Sr-HA nanoprisms nucleate from Ca0.5Sr0.5TiO3 pre-formed on the TiO2 and grow in length to nanofibers at the expense of Ca2+, Sr2+ and PO4(3-) ions that migrate from the TiO2. These Sr-HA nanofibers construct a network structure similar to the hierarchical organization of bone extracellular matrix (ECM), and the resulting nanofibrous surface displays a firm adhesion to substrate, superhydrophilicity and apatite-inducing ability. The induced apatite prefers to nucleate on the basal-faceted surfaces of Sr-HA nanofibers. The nanofiber-walled scaffold has a great potential for load-bearing orthotopic use.

Plan for the Startup of HA-21I Furnace Operations at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WILLIS, H.T.

2000-01-01

Achievement of Thermal Stabilization mission elements require the installation and startup of three additional muffle furnaces for the thermal stabilization of plutonium and plutonium bearing materials at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). The release to operate these additional furnaces will require an Activity Based Startup Review. The conduct of the Activity Based Startup Review (ABSR) was approved by Fluor Daniel Hanford on October 15, 1999. This plan has been developed with the objective of identifying those activities needed to guide the controlled startup of five furnaces from authorization to unrestricted operations by adding the HA-211 furnaces in an orderly and safe manner after the approval to Startup has been given. The Startup Plan provides a phased approach that bridges the activities between the completion of the Activity Based Startup Review authorizing the use of the three additional furnaces and the unrestricted operation of the five thermal stabilization muffle furnaces. The four phases are: (1) the initiation of five furnace operations using three empty (simulated full) boat charges from HA-211 and two full charges from HC-21C; (2) three furnace operations (one full charge from HA-211 and two full charges from HC-21C); (3) four furnace operations (two full charges from HA-211 and two full charges from HC-21C); and (4) integrated five furnace operations and unrestricted operations. Phase 1 of the Plan will be considered as the cold runs. This Plan also provides management oversight and administrative controls that are to be implemented until unrestricted operations are authorized. It also provides a formal review process for ensuring that all preparations needed for full five furnace operations are completed and formally reviewed prior to proceeding to the increased activity levels associated with five furnace operations. Specific objectives include: (1) To ensure that activities are conducted in a safe manner. (2) To provide supplemental

MiR-30e suppresses proliferation of hepatoma cells via targeting prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha-1 (P4HA1) mRNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Guoxing [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Cancer Research, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Shi, Hui [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Li, Jiong; Yang, Zhe [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Cancer Research, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Fang, Runping; Ye, Lihong [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Zhang, Weiying, E-mail: zhwybao@nankai.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Cancer Research, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); Zhang, Xiaodong, E-mail: zhangxd@nankai.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Cancer Research, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China)

2016-04-08

Aberrant microRNA expression has been shown to be characteristic of many cancers. It has been reported that the expression levels of miR-30e are decreased in liver cancer tissues. However, the role of miR-30e in hepatocellular carcinoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the significance of miR-30e in hepatocarcinogenesis. Bioinformatics analysis reveals a putative target site of miR-30e in the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha-1 (P4HA1) mRNA. Moreover, luciferase reporter gene assays verified that miR-30e directly targeted 3′UTR of P4HA1 mRNA. Then, we demonstrated that miR-30e was able to reduce the expression of P4HA1 at the levels of mRNA and protein using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Enforced expression of miR-30e suppressed proliferation of HepG2 cells by 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay and reduced colony formation of these cells by colony formation analysis. Conversely, anti-miR-30e enhanced the proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro. Interestingly, the ectopic expression of P4HA1 could efficiently rescue the inhibition of cell proliferation mediated by miR-30e in HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, silencing of P4HA1 abolished the anti-miR-30e-induced proliferation of cells. Clinically, quantitative real-time PCR showed that miR-30e was down-regulated in liver tumor tissues relative to their peritumor tissues. The expression levels of miR-30e were negatively correlated to those of P4HA1 mRNA in clinical liver tumor tissues. Thus, we conclude that miR-30e suppresses proliferation of hepatoma cells through targeting P4HA1 mRNA. Our finding provides new insights into the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis. - Highlights: • P4HA1 is a novel target gene of miR-30e. • P4HA1 is increased in clinical HCC tissues. • MiR-30e is negatively correlated with P4HA1 in clinical HCC tissues. • MiR-30e suppresses the proliferation of HCC cells through

Investigation of the HA film deposited on the porous Ti6Al4V alloy prepared via additive manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surmeneva, M; Chudinova, E; Syrtanov, M; Surmenev, R; Koptioug, A

2015-01-01

This study is focused on the use of radio frequency magnetron sputtering to modify the surface of porous Ti6Al4V alloy fabricated via additive manufacturing technology. The hydroxyapatite (HA) coated porous Ti6Al4V alloy was studied in respect with its chemical and phase composition, surface morphology, water contact angle and hysteresis, and surface free energy. Thin nanocrystalline HA film was deposited while its structure with diamond-shaped cells remained unchanged. Hysteresis and water contact angle measurements revealed an effect of the deposited HA films, namely an increased water contact angle and contact angle hysteresis. The increase of the contact angle of the coating-substrate system compared to the uncoated substrate was attributed to the multiscale structure of the resulted surfaces. (paper)

AFLP and AMP Fingerprints as Markers to Evaluate Genetic Differences between Medicago truncatula Line Jemalong and 2HA, a New Line Produced by in vitro Culture Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.R. Irwanto

2008-09-01

Full Text Available A new line, Medicago truncatula cv. Jemalong 2HA (herein known as 2HA has been developed via repetitive regeneration and selection of M. truncatula cv. Jemalong. During somatic embryogenesis, 2HA produces 500 times more embryos than its progenitor, Jemalong. It is interesting to study if those two lines are isogenic or has genetic differences. The main objectives of the study was to evaluate the genotypic differences between Jemalong and 2HA also to evaluate the methylation event in 2HA utilized two DNA fingerprinting techniques, i.e AFLP fingerprints (Amplified Length of Polymorphism and AMP (Amplified Methylation Polymorphism. The results showed that AFLP analysis using eight primers combinations could not detect any differences between Jemalong and 2HA. However, using AMP methylation sensitive primers it could detect 15 polymorphisms out of 840 markers. These results lead to a conclusion that Jemalong and 2HA are isogenic lines. 2HA may have higher regeneration capacities due to methylation process which occurs during the production of 2HA through repetitive regeneration cycles.

Amino Acid Substitutions Improve the Immunogenicity of H7N7HA Protein and Protect Mice against Lethal H7N7 Viral Challenge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subaschandrabose Rajesh Kumar

Full Text Available Avian influenza A H7N7/NL/219/03 virus creates a serious pandemic threat to human health because it can transmit directly from domestic poultry to humans and from human to human. Our previous vaccine study reported that mice when immunized intranasally (i.n with live Bac-HA were protected from lethal H7N7/NL/219/03 challenge, whereas incomplete protection was obtained when administered subcutaneously (s.c due to the fact that H7N7 is a poor inducer of neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, our recent vaccine studies reported that mice when vaccinated subcutaneously with Bac-HA (H7N9 was protected against both H7N9 (A/Sh2/2013 and H7N7 virus challenge. HA1 region of both H7N7 and H7N9 viruses are differ at 15 amino acid positions. Among those, we selected three amino acid positions (T143, T198 and I211 in HA1 region of H7N7. These amino acids are located within or near the receptor binding site. Following the selection, we substituted the amino acid at these three positions with amino acids found on H7N9HA wild-type. In this study, we evaluate the impact of amino acid substitutions in the H7N7 HA-protein on the immunogenicity. We generated six mutant constructs from wild-type influenza H7N7HA cDNA by site directed mutagenesis, and individually expressed mutant HA protein on the surface of baculovirus (Bac-HAm and compared their protective efficacy of the vaccines with Bac-H7N7HA wild-type (Bac-HA by lethal H7N7 viral challenge in a mouse model. We found that mice immunized subcutaneously with Bac-HAm constructs T143A or T198A-I211V or I211V-T143A serum showed significantly higher hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization titer against H7N7 and H7N9 viruses when compared to Bac-HA vaccinated mice groups. We also observed low level of lung viral titer, negligible weight loss and complete protection against lethal H7N7 viral challenge. Our results indicated that amino acid substitution at position 143 or 211 improve immunogenicity of H7N7HA

In vitro and in vivo performance of bioactive Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA implants fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choy, Man Tik; Tang, Chak Yin; Chen, Ling; Wong, Chi Tak; Tsui, Chi Pong

2014-01-01

Failure of the bone–implant interface in a joint prosthesis is a main cause of implant loosening. The introduction of a bioactive substance, hydroxyapatite (HA), to a metallic bone–implant may enhance its fixation on human bone by encouraging direct bone bonding. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites with a reproducible porous structure (porosity of 27% and pore size of 6–89 μm) were successfully fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique. This method allows the biocomposites to be fabricated in a short period of time under ambient conditions. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites exhibited a compressive strength of 93 MPa, compressive modulus of 2.9 GPa and microhardness of 556 HV which are close to those of the human cortical bone. The in vitro preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite showed that the composite surface could provide a biocompatible environment for cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation without any cytotoxic effects. This is among the first attempts to study the in vivo performance of load-bearing Ti6Al4V/TiC and Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites in a live rabbit. The results indicated that the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite had a better bone–implant interface compared with the Ti6Al4V/TiC implant. Based on the microstructural features, the mechanical properties, and the in vitro and in vivo test results from this study, the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites have the potential to be employed in load-bearing orthopedic applications. - Highlights: • Ti6Al4V/TiC and Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites were fabricated by microwave sintering. • Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA exhibited mechanical properties close to human cortical bone. • Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA could provide a biocompatible environment for bone cell growth. • Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA showed a better bone–implant interface than Ti6Al4V/TiC. • Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA could be used for bone replacement under load-bearing conditions

Comparative histomorphometric analysis between α-Tcp cement and β-Tcp/Ha granules in the bone repair of rat calvaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gisela Grandi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This study compared the effect of two bioceramics on the process of bone repair: α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP cement and β-tricalcium phosphate hydroxyapatite particles (β-TCP/HA. Calvarial defects were created in 50 rats, divided into two groups (α and β/HA. Software was used at 7, 21, 60, 90 and 120 days to assess bone formation. Mean new bone formation rates were as follows: α group, 1.6% at 7 days, 5.24% at 21 days, 24% at 60 days, 30.21% at 90 days and 50.59% at 120 days; β/HA group, 1.94% at 7 days, 2.53% at 21 days, 12.47% at 60 days, 26.84% at 90 days and 38.82% at 120 days; control group, 0.15% at 7 days, 10.12% at 21 days, 15.10% at 60 days, 18.94% at 90 days, 48.50% at 120 days. Both materials are osteoconductive and biocompatible. Perhaps the larger rate of new bone formation observed in the α-TCP group, it also occurs in the β-TCP/HA group within a longer time period.

Increase in the fraction of necrotic, not apoptotic, cells in SiHa xenograft tumours shortly after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olive, P.L.; Vikse, C.M.; Vanderbyl, S.

1999-01-01

Background and purpose: Approximately 18% of the cells recovered by rapid mechanical dissociation of SiHa xenograft tumours contain large numbers of DNA strand breaks. The number of damaged cells increases to 30-40% 4-6 h after exposure to 5 or 15 Gy, returning to normal levels by 12 h. This observation is reminiscent of the rate of production of apoptotic cells in other murine and human xenograft tumours. The nature of this damage, rate of development and relation to cell proliferation rate were therefore examined in detail.Materials and methods: SiHa human cervical carcinoma cells were grown as xenograft tumours in SCID mice. Single-cell suspensions were prepared as a function of time after irradiation of the mouse and examined for DNA damage using the alkaline comet assay. Cell cycle progression was measured by flow cytometry evaluation of anti-bromodeoxyuridine-labelled tumour cells.Results: Significant numbers of apoptotic cells could not be detected in irradiated SiHa tumours using an end-labelling assay, electron microscopy, or histological examination of thin sections. Instead, xenograft cells exhibiting extensive DNA damage in the comet assay were predominantly necrotic cells. The increase in the proportion of heavily damaged cells 4-6 h after irradiation could be the result of an interplay between several factors including loss of viable cells and change in production or loss of necrotic cells. Analysis of the progression of BrdUrd-labelled cells confirmed that while 35% of cells from untreated SiHa tumours had divided and entered G 1 phase by 6 h after BrdUrd injection, none of the labelled cells from tumours exposed to 5 or 15 Gy had progressed to G 1 .Conclusions: The increase in the percentage of SiHa tumour cells with extensive DNA damage 4-6 h after irradiation is attributable to necrosis, not apoptosis. Cell cycle progression and cell loss are likely to influence the kinetics of appearance of both apoptotic and necrotic cells in irradiated tumours

Disfunciones visuo-perceptivas, oculomotoras, acomodativas y binoculares en niños con trastornos por déficit de atención e hiperactividad

OpenAIRE

Pardo Pérez, María Carmen

2009-01-01

1) Determinar el grado de desarrollo de las habilidades visuoperceptivas, oculomotoras, acomodativas y binoculares en estudiantes con TDAH. 2) Comparar las habilidades visuales y visuoperceptivas entre un grupo de estudiantes con TDAH y otro que no presenta este trastorno. 3) Analizar qué habilidades visuoperceptivas (discriminación, memoria visual, figura-fondo, integración visual…) y oculomotoras presentan unos valores más deteriorados en el grupo de estudiantes que presentan...

Generation of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre Mice for Gene Expression in an Oxytocin Receptor Specific Manner.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidema, Shizu; Fukuda, Tomokazu; Hiraoka, Yuichi; Mizukami, Hiroaki; Hayashi, Ryotaro; Otsuka, Ayano; Suzuki, Shingo; Miyazaki, Shinji; Nishimori, Katsuhiko

2016-05-01

The neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) have critical roles in the regulation of pro-social behaviors, including social recognition, pair bonding, parental behavior, and stress-related responses. Supporting this hypothesis, a portion of patients suffering from autism spectrum disorder have mutations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or epigenetic modifications in their OXTR gene. We previously reported that OXTR-deficient mice exhibit pervasive social deficits, indicating the critical role of OXTR in social behaviors. In the present study, we generated Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice, expressing both OXTR and Cre recombinase under the control of the endogenous Oxtr promoter. Knock-in cassette of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre consisted of Oxtr cDNA tagged with the hemagglutinin epitope at the 3' end (Oxtr cDNA(HA)), internal ribosomal entry site (Ires), and Cre. Cre was expressed in the uterus, mammary gland, kidney, and brain of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice. Furthermore, the distribution of Cre in the brain was similar to that observed in Oxtr-Venus fluorescent protein expressing mice (Oxtr-Venus), another animal model previously generated by our group. Social behavior of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice was similar to that of wild-type animals. We demonstrated that this construct is expressed in OXTR-expressing neurons specifically after an infection with the recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the flip-excision switch vector. Using this system, we showed the transport of the wheat-germ agglutinin tracing molecule from the OXTR-expressing neurons to the innervated neurons in knock-in mice. This study might contribute to the monosynaptic analysis of neuronal circuits and to the optogenetic analysis of neurons expressing OXTR. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Penetration into the Skin and Effects on HaCaT Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Crosera, Matteo; Prodi, Andrea; Mauro, Marcella; Pelin, Marco; Florio, Chiara; Bellomo, Francesca; Adami, Gianpiero; Apostoli, Pietro; De Palma, Giuseppe; Bovenzi, Massimo; Campanini, Marco; Filon, Francesca Larese

2015-08-07

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) suspensions (concentration 1.0 g/L) in synthetic sweat solution were applied on Franz cells for 24 h using intact and needle-abraded human skin. Titanium content into skin and receiving phases was determined. Cytotoxicity (MTT, AlamarBlue(®) and propidium iodide, PI, uptake assays) was evaluated on HaCat keratinocytes after 24 h, 48 h, and seven days of exposure. After 24 h of exposure, no titanium was detectable in receiving solutions for both intact and damaged skin. Titanium was found in the epidermal layer after 24 h of exposure (0.47 ± 0.33 μg/cm(2)) while in the dermal layer, the concentration was below the limit of detection. Damaged skin, in its whole, has shown a similar concentration (0.53 ± 0.26 μg/cm(2)). Cytotoxicity studies on HaCaT cells demonstrated that TiO2NPs induced cytotoxic effects only at very high concentrations, reducing cell viability after seven days of exposure with EC50s of 8.8 × 10(-4) M (MTT assay), 3.8 × 10(-5) M (AlamarBlue(®) assay), and 7.6 × 10(-4) M (PI uptake, index of a necrotic cell death). Our study demonstrated that TiO2NPs cannot permeate intact and damaged skin and can be found only in the stratum corneum and epidermis. Moreover, the low cytotoxic effect observed on human HaCaT keratinocytes suggests that these nano-compounds have a potential toxic effect at the skin level only after long-term exposure.

A complete analysis of HA and NA genes of influenza A viruses.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shi, Weifeng

2010-12-01

More and more nucleotide sequences of type A influenza virus are available in public databases. Although these sequences have been the focus of many molecular epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses, most studies only deal with a few representative sequences. In this paper, we present a complete analysis of all Haemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) gene sequences available to allow large scale analyses of the evolution and epidemiology of type A influenza.

β-TCP/HA with or without enamel matrix proteins for maxillary sinus floor augmentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nery, James Carlos; Pereira, Luís Antônio Violin Dias; Guimarães, George Furtado

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: It is still unclear whether enamel matrix proteins (EMD) as adjunct to bone grafting enhance bone healing. This study compared histomorphometrically maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) with β-TCP/HA in combination with or without EMD in humans. METHODS: In ten systemically healthy...

ADCC employing an NK cell line (haNK) expressing the high affinity CD16 allele with avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Jochems, Caroline; Hodge, James W; Fantini, Massimo; Tsang, Kwong Y; Vandeveer, Amanda J; Gulley, James L; Schlom, Jeffrey

2017-08-01

NK-92 cells, and their derivative, designated aNK, were obtained from a patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Prior clinical studies employing adoptively transferred irradiated aNK cells have provided evidence of clinical benefit and an acceptable safety profile. aNK cells have now been engineered to express IL-2 and the high affinity (ha) CD16 allele (designated haNK). Avelumab is a human IgG1 anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, which has shown evidence of clinical activity in a range of human tumors. Prior in vitro studies have shown that avelumab has the ability to mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of human tumor cells when combined with NK cells. In the studies reported here, the ability of avelumab to enhance the lysis of a range of human carcinoma cells by irradiated haNK cells via the ADCC mechanism is demonstrated; this ADCC is shown to be inhibited by anti-CD16 blocking antibody and by concanamycin A, indicating the use of the granzyme/perforin pathway in tumor cell lysis. Studies also show that while NK cells have the ability to lyse aNK or haNK cells, the addition of NK cells to irradiated haNK cells does not inhibit haNK-mediated lysis of human tumor cells, with or without the addition of avelumab. Avelumab-mediated lysis of tumor cells by irradiated haNK cells is also shown to be similar to that of NK cells bearing the V/V Fc receptor high affinity allele. These studies thus provide the rationale for the clinical evaluation of the combined use of avelumab with that of irradiated adoptively transferred haNK cells. © 2017 UICC.

Study on effect of artemisinin combined with 60Co γ-ray on DNA damage in HeLa and SiHa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Yang; Zhou Yuanyuan; Yang Wei; Chen Qiu; Li Ming; Zhang Shuyu; Zhu Wei; Cao Jianping; Zhang Xuguang

2011-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of Artemisinin combined with 60 Co γ-ray on DNA damage in HeLa and SiHa cells of human cervical cancer. Methods: Cell growth kinetics was evaluated by MTT assay to determine the most appropriate drug concentration. Effects of Artemisinin combined with 60 Co γ-ray on DNA damage in HeLa and SiHa cells were detected by single cell gel electrophoresis. Results: With the concentration increased during the effect of Artemisinin, the HeLa and SiHa cells had higher inhibition on cell proliferation. The SCGE showed that:the comet cell analysis indexes (the comet cells ratio, Tail Length, Olive Tail Moment and Tail DNA%) there was no statistic difference in between the artemisinin group and the control group (P>0.05). With radiation in the same dose, the comet cell analysis indexes of Hela cells treated with both artermisinin and exposed to radiation were higher than that only exposed to radiation group(P 0.05). Conclusion: Artemisinin can not induce DNA damage in both HeLa and SiHa cells, but it can make irradiated HeLa cells DNA damage to be aggravated and enhance HeLa cells' radiation sensitivity. However, Artemisinin has no radiosensitizing effect on SiHa cells. (authors)

A multi-scaled hybrid orthopedic implant: bone ECM-shaped Sr-HA nanofibers on the microporous walls of a macroporous titanium scaffold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han Yong; Zhou Jianhong; Zhang Lan; Xu Kewei, E-mail: yonghan@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2011-07-08

We report here, for the first time, a novel multi-scaled hybrid orthopedic implant material consisting of a macroporous Ti scaffold, whose macropores' walls have a microporous titania layer which is fully covered with nanofibers of Sr-doped hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA). The microporous titania layer is formed on and within the Ti scaffold by micro-arc oxidation, which firmly binds to the Ti substrate and contains Ca{sup 2+}, Sr{sup 2+} and PO{sub 4}{sup 3-} ions. It is then hydrothermally treated to form Sr-HA nanofibers. During the hydrothermal treatment, Sr-HA nanoprisms nucleate from Ca{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} pre-formed on the TiO{sub 2} and grow in length to nanofibers at the expense of Ca{sup 2+}, Sr{sup 2+} and PO{sub 4}{sup 3-} ions that migrate from the TiO{sub 2}. These Sr-HA nanofibers construct a network structure similar to the hierarchical organization of bone extracellular matrix (ECM), and the resulting nanofibrous surface displays a firm adhesion to substrate, superhydrophilicity and apatite-inducing ability. The induced apatite prefers to nucleate on the basal-faceted surfaces of Sr-HA nanofibers. The nanofiber-walled scaffold has a great potential for load-bearing orthotopic use.

(+)-Nootkatone inhibits tumor necrosis factor α/interferon γ-induced production of chemokines in HaCaT cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyeon-Jae; Lee, Jin-Hwee; Jung, Yi-Sook

2014-05-02

Chemokines are important mediators of cell migration, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) are well-known typical inflammatory chemokines involved in atopic dermatitis (AD). (+)-Nootkatone is the major component of Cyperus rotundus. (+)-Nootkatone has antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of (+)-nootkatone on tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)/interferon γ (IFN-γ)-induced expression of Th2 chemokines in HaCaT cells. We found that (+)-nootkatone inhibited the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced expression of TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 mRNA in HaCaT cells. It also significantly inhibited TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ). Furthermore, we showed that PKCζ and p38 MAPK contributed to the inhibition of TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 expression by blocking IκBα degradation in HaCaT cells. Taken together, these results suggest that (+)-nootkatone may suppress TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC/CCL17 and MDC/CCL22 expression in HaCaT cells by inhibiting of PKCζ and p38 MAPK signaling pathways that lead to activation of NF-κB. We propose that (+)-nootkatone may be a useful therapeutic candidate for inflammatory skin diseases such as AD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Formulation Changes Affect Material Properties and Cell Behavior in HA-Based Hydrogels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Lawyer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To develop and optimize new scaffold materials for tissue engineering applications, it is important to understand how changes to the scaffold affect the cells that will interact with that scaffold. In this study, we used a hyaluronic acid- (HA- based hydrogel as a synthetic extracellular matrix, containing modified HA (CMHA-S, modified gelatin (Gtn-S, and a crosslinker (PEGda. By varying the concentrations of these components, we were able to change the gelation time, enzymatic degradation, and compressive modulus of the hydrogel. These changes also affected fibroblast spreading within the hydrogels and differentially affected the proliferation and metabolic activity of fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. In particular, PEGda concentration had the greatest influence on gelation time, compressive modulus, and cell spreading. MSCs appeared to require a longer period of adjustment to the new microenvironment of the hydrogels than fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were able to proliferate in all formulations over the course of two weeks, but MSCs did not. Metabolic activity changed for each cell type during the two weeks depending on the formulation. These results highlight the importance of determining the effect of matrix composition changes on a particular cell type of interest in order to optimize the formulation for a given application.

The Sanskrit and Arabic Sources of the Praśnatantra Attributed to Nīlakaṇṭha

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Gansten

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The highly popular Praśnatantra attributed to Nīlakaṇṭha of Kāśī (fl. late 16th century and sometimes regarded as the third volume of his Tājikanīlakaṇṭhī is shown to depend for its basic structure on an abridged Sanskrit version of the Kitāb fi l-masāʾil wa-l-aḥkām by Sahl ibn Bishr (early 9th century, apparently authored by Samarasiṃha in the 13th century, to which quotations primarily from Sanskrit astrological works in the classical Indian style have been added, resulting in a hybrid of Indian and Perso-Arabic interrogational astrology.

The mechanism of kaempferol induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in human cervical cancer SiHa cell: From macro to nano.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Lv-Ying; Bai, Hai-Hua; Cai, Ji-Ye; Deng, Sui-Ping

2016-11-01

Kaempferol has been identified as a potential cancer therapeutic agent by an increasing amount of evidences. However, the changes in the topography of cell membrane induced by kaempferol at subcellular- or nanometer-level were still unclear. In this work, the topographical changes of cytomembrane in human cervical cancer cell (SiHa) induced by kaempferol, as well as the role of kaempferol in apoptosis induction and its possible mechanisms, were investigated. At the macro level, MTT assays showed that kaempferol inhibited the proliferation of SiHa cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that kaempferol could induce SiHa cell apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential disruption, and intracellular free calcium elevation. At the micro level, fluorescence imaging by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) indicated that kaempferol could also destroy the networks of microtubules. Using high resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM), we determined the precise changes of cellular membrane induced by kaempferol at subcellular or nanometer level. The spindle-shaped SiHa cells shrank after kaempferol treatment, with significantly increased cell surface roughness. These data showed structural characterizations of cellular topography in kaempferol-induced SiHa cell apoptosis and might provide novel integrated information from macro to nano level to assess the impact of kaempferol on cancer cells, which might be important for the understanding of the anti-cancer mechanisms of drugs. SCANNING 38:644-653, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HA03 as an Iranian Candidate Concealed Antigen for Vaccination against Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum: Comparative Structural and In silico Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammadi, A.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In the last decades researchers had focused on developing a vaccine against tick based on protective antigen. Recombinant vaccines based on concealed antigen from Boophilus microplus have been developed in Australia and Cuba by the name of TICKGARD and GAVAC (De La Fuente and Kocan, 2006. Further studies on this antigen have shown some extent of protection against other species (De Vos et al., 2001. In Iran most important species is Hyalomma anatolicum and limited information about its control are available. This paper reports structural and polymorphic analysis of HA03 as an Iranian candidate concealed antigen of H. a. anatolicum deposited in Gen-Bank .(Aghaeipour et al. GQ228820. The comparison between this antigen and other mid gut concealed antigen that their characteristics are available in GenBank showed there are high rate of similarity between them. The HA03 amino acid sequence had a homology of around 89%, 64%, 56% with HA98, BM86, BM95 respectively. Potential of MHC class I and II binding region indicated a considerable variation between BM86 antigen and its efficiency against Iranian H. a. anatolicum. In addition, predicted major of hydrophobisity and similarity in N-glycosylation besides large amount of cystein and seven EGF like regions presented in protein structure revealed that value of HA03 as a new protective antigen and the necessity of the development, BM86 homolog of H. a. anatolicum HA03 based recombinant vaccine.

miR-198 Represses the Proliferation of HaCaT Cells by Targeting Cyclin D2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Wang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: MiR-198 has been considered as an inhibitor of cell proliferation, invasion, migration and a promoter of apoptosis in most cancer cells, while its effect on non-cancer cells is poorly understood. Methods: The effect of miR-198 transfection on HaCaT cell proliferation was firstly detected using Cell Count Kit-8 and the cell cycle progression was analyzed by flow cytometry. Using bioinformatics analyses and luciferase assay, a new target of miR-198 was searched and identified. Then, the effect of the new target gene of miR-198 on cell proliferation and cell cycle was also detected. Results: Here we showed that miR-198 directly bound to the 3′-UTR of CCND2 mRNA, which was a key regulator in cell cycle progression. Overexpressed miR-198 repressed CCND2 expression at mRNA and protein levels and subsequently led to cell proliferation inhibition and cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Transfection ofSiCCND2 in HaCaT cells showed similar inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have identified that miR-198 inhibited HaCaT cell proliferation by directly targeting CCND2.

Metabolic activation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids leading to phototoxicity and photogenotoxicity in human HaCaT keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chia-Chi; Xia, Qingsu; Li, Meng; Wang, Shuguang; Zhao, Yuewei; Tolleson, William H; Yin, Jun-Jie; Fu, Peter P

2014-01-01

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, produced by a large number of poisonous plants with wide global distribution, are associated with genotoxicity, tumorigenicity, and hepatotoxicity in animals and humans. Mammalian metabolism converts pyrrolizidine alkaloids to reactive pyrrolic metabolites (dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids) that form covalent protein and DNA adducts. Although a mechanistic understanding is currently unclear, pyrrolizidine alkaloids can cause secondary (hepatogenous) photosensitization and induce skin cancer. In this study, the phototoxicity of monocrotaline, riddelliine, dehydromonocrotaline, dehydroriddelliine, and dehydroretronecine (DHR) in human HaCaT keratinocytes under ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation was determined. UVA irradiation of HaCaT cells treated with dehydromonocrotaline, dehydroriddelline, and DHR resulted in increased release of lactate dehydrogenase and enhanced photocytotoxicity proportional to the UVA doses. UVA-induced photochemical DNA damage also increased proportionally with dehydromonocrotaline and dehydroriddelline. UVA treatment potentiated the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine DNA adducts induced by dehydromonocrotaline in HaCaT skin keratinocytes. Using electron spin resistance trapping, we found that UVA irradiation of dehydromonocrotaline and dehydroriddelliine generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, and superoxide, and electron transfer reactions, indicating that cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of these compounds could be mediated by ROS. Our results suggest that dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids formed or delivered to the skin cause pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced secondary photosensitization and possible skin cancer.

Haïti | CRDI - Centre de recherches pour le développement ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

En dépit d'un climat et d'une topographie propices à la culture de fruits et de légumes, l'accès à des aliments sains et abordables constitue depuis longtemps un problème en Haïti. Grâce au financement accordé par le CRDI, des organismes locaux ont enseigné à 1 100 habitants de Port-au-Prince la culture vivrière ...

Effect of calcinations temperature on the luminescence intensity and fluorescent lifetime of Tb3+-doped hydroxyapatite (Tb-HA nanocrystallines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hairong Yin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Hydroxyapatite luminescent nanocrystallines doped with 6 mol.% Tb3+ (Tb-HA were prepared via chemical deposition method and calcined at different temperature, and the effects of calcinations temperature on the luminescence intensity and fluorescent lifetime were studied. TEM image of Tb-HA revealed that the shape of nanocrystallines changed from needle-like to short rod-like and sphere-like with the increase of calcinations temperature; while the particles sizes decreased from 190 nm to 110 nm. The crystallinity degree increased. The typical emission peaks attributed to Tb3+ ions were observed in emission spectra of 6 mol.% Tb-HA under 378 nm excitation. The luminescent intensity of Tb-HA, which showed the fluorescence quenching, firstly enhanced and then decreased at 700 °C; while the fluorescent lifetime increased firstly and then decreased after 600 °C. Furthermore, the ratio of intensity between 545 nm and 490 nm corresponding to electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole transition (IR: IO increases firstly and then decreases, which revealed that the proportion of substitute type and site of Ca2+ ions by Tb3+ ions were helpful to realize the substitute process and functional structure design.

A Novel HA/β-TCP-Collagen Composite Enhanced New Bone Formation for Dental Extraction Socket Preservation in Beagle Dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ko-Ning Ho

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Past studies in humans have demonstrated horizontal and vertical bone loss after six months following tooth extraction. Many biomaterials have been developed to preserve bone volume after tooth extraction. Type I collagen serves as an excellent delivery system for growth factors and promotes angiogenesis. Calcium phosphate ceramics have also been investigated because their mineral chemistry resembles human bone. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a novel bioresorbable purified fibrillar collagen and hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP ceramic composite versus collagen alone and a bovine xenograft-collagen composite in beagles. Collagen plugs, bovine graft-collagen composite and HA/β-TCP-collagen composite were implanted into the left and right first, second and third mandibular premolars, and the fourth molar was left empty for natural healing. In total, 20 male beagle dogs were used, and quantitative and histological analyses of the extraction ridge was done. The smallest width reduction was 19.09% ± 8.81% with the HA/β-TCP-collagen composite at Week 8, accompanied by new bone formation at Weeks 4 and 8. The HA/β-TCP-collagen composite performed well, as a new osteoconductive and biomimetic composite biomaterial, for socket bone preservation after tooth extraction.

Evaluation of a setting reaction pathway in the novel composite TiHA-CSD bone cement by FT-Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Paluszkiewicz, Czesława; Czechowska, Joanna; Ślósarczyk, Anna; Paszkiewicz, Zofia

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine a setting reaction pathway in a novel, surgically handy implant material, based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) and titanium doped hydroxyapatite (TiHA). The previous studies confirmed superior biological properties of TiHA in comparison to the undoped hydroxyapatite (HA) what makes it highly attractive for future medical applications. In this study the three types of titanium modified HA powders: untreated, calcined at 800 °C, sintered at 1250 °C and CSH were used to produce bone cements. The Fourier Transform-InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were applied to evaluate processes taking place during the setting of the studied materials. Our results undoubtedly confirmed that the reaction pathways and the phase compositions differed significantly for set cements and were dependent on the initial heat treatment of TiHA powder. Final materials were multiphase composites consisting of calcium sulfate dihydrate, bassanite, tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite and calcium titanate (perovskite). The FT-IR and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) measurements performed after the incubation of the cement samples in the simulated body fluid (SBF), indicate on high bioactive potential of the obtained bone cements.

Clinical significance of changes of serum levels of sICAM-1 and HA in patients with type-2 diabetes complicated with angiopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Lixia; Li Yugang

2004-01-01

Objective: To study the significance of changes of serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and hyaluronic acid (HA) levels in patients with type-2 diabetes complicated with angiopathy. Methods: Serum levels of sICAM-1 (by ELISA) and HA (by RIA) were measured in 66 cases of type-2 diabetes complicated with angiopathy and 35 controls. Contents of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAIC) and urine microalbumin (MAlb) were also measured for correlation analysis studies. Results: Serum sICAM-1 and HA levels in patients with type-2 diabetic angiopathy were significantly higher than those in controls (p<0.01) and were closely positively correlated to the contents of FBG, HbAIC and MAlb (p<0.01). Conclusion: Higher serum sICAM-1 and HA levels may play some role in the pathogenesis of type-2 diabetic angiopathy

The performance of dental pulp stem cells on nanofibrous PCL/gelatin/nHA scaffolds.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, X.; Yang, F.; Walboomers, X.F.; Bian, Z.; Fan, M.; Jansen, J.A.

2010-01-01

The aim of current study is to investigate the in vitro and in vivo behavior of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) seeded on electrospun poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/gelatin scaffolds with or without the addition of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA). For the in vitro evaluation, DNA content, alkaline

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Penetration into the Skin and Effects on HaCaT Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Crosera

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs suspensions (concentration 1.0 g/L in synthetic sweat solution were applied on Franz cells for 24 h using intact and needle-abraded human skin. Titanium content into skin and receiving phases was determined. Cytotoxicity (MTT, AlamarBlue® and propidium iodide, PI, uptake assays was evaluated on HaCat keratinocytes after 24 h, 48 h, and seven days of exposure. After 24 h of exposure, no titanium was detectable in receiving solutions for both intact and damaged skin. Titanium was found in the epidermal layer after 24 h of exposure (0.47 ± 0.33 μg/cm2 while in the dermal layer, the concentration was below the limit of detection. Damaged skin, in its whole, has shown a similar concentration (0.53 ± 0.26 μg/cm2. Cytotoxicity studies on HaCaT cells demonstrated that TiO2NPs induced cytotoxic effects only at very high concentrations, reducing cell viability after seven days of exposure with EC50s of 8.8 × 10−4 M (MTT assay, 3.8 × 10−5 M (AlamarBlue® assay, and 7.6 × 10−4 M (PI uptake, index of a necrotic cell death. Our study demonstrated that TiO2NPs cannot permeate intact and damaged skin and can be found only in the stratum corneum and epidermis. Moreover, the low cytotoxic effect observed on human HaCaT keratinocytes suggests that these nano-compounds have a potential toxic effect at the skin level only after long-term exposure.

Induction of HIV neutralizing antibodies against the MPER of the HIV envelope protein by HA/gp41 chimeric protein-based DNA and VLP vaccines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Ye

Full Text Available Several conserved neutralizing epitopes have been identified in the HIV Env protein and among these, the MPER of gp41 has received great attention and is widely recognized as a promising target. However, little success has been achieved in eliciting MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies by a number of different vaccine strategies. We investigated the ability of HA/gp41 chimeric protein-based vaccines, which were designed to enhance the exposure of the MPER in its native conformation, to induce MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies. In characterization of the HA/gp41 chimeric protein, we found that by mutating an unpaired Cys residue (Cys-14 in its HA1 subunit to a Ser residue, the modified chimeric protein HA-C14S/gp41 showed increased reactivity to a conformation-sensitive monoclonal antibody against HA and formed more stable trimers in VLPs. On the other hand, HA-C14S/gp41 and HA/gp41 chimeric proteins expressed on the cell surfaces exhibited similar reactivity to monoclonal antibodies 2F5 and 4E10. Immunization of guinea pigs using the HA-C14S/gp41 DNA or VLP vaccines induced antibodies against the HIV gp41 as well as to a peptide corresponding to a segment of MPER at higher levels than immunization by standard HIV VLPs. Further, sera from vaccinated guinea pigs were found to exhibit HIV neutralizing activities. Moreover, sera from guinea pigs vaccinated by HA-C14S/gp41 DNA and VLP vaccines but not the standard HIV VLPs, were found to neutralize HIV pseudovirions containing a SIV-4E10 chimeric Env protein. The virus neutralization could be blocked by a MPER-specific peptide, thus demonstrating induction of MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies by this novel vaccine strategy. These results show that induction of MPER-specific HIV neutralizing antibodies can be achieved through a rationally designed vaccine strategy.

Nur77 nuclear import and its NBRE-binding activity in thymic lymphoma cells are regulated by different mechanisms sensitive to FK506 or HA1004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochel, Izabela; Rapak, Andrzej; Ziolo, Ewa; Strzadala, Leon

2005-01-01

Thymic lymphoma cells restore their sensitivity to ionomycin-induced apoptosis when treated with FK506 or HA1004. In apoptosis-resistant cells, ionomycin-induced Nur77 strongly binds DNA during the first 2 h of response, in contrast to lymphoma cells treated with ionomycin together with FK506 or HA1004, which undergo massive apoptosis. We show that Nur77 could discriminate between calcium signals sensitive to FK506 and those sensitive to HA1004, as the inhibitors differentially regulate the kinetics of Nur77 nuclear import, and FK506, unlike HA1004, inhibits Nur77 DNA-binding activity. In the presence of HA1004, NBRE binding by Nur77 protein increases with time (6 h vs 2 h), whereas the final outcome of both inhibitors is apoptosis of thymic lymphoma cells

El mercado de comida étnica en España: el caso de la comida mexicana

OpenAIRE

Dena M. Camarena; Ana I. Sanjuán

2008-01-01

En los últimos años, el conocimiento y consumo de las comidas y/o alimentos étnicos se ha difundido internacionalmente. En España, los alimentos étnicos comenzaron a comercializarse en la década de los años noventa, sin embargo, el mayor auge de sus ventas se ha producido a partir del año dos mil y se han constituido una de las gamas de alimentos con más potencial de expansión. La comida mexicana es una de las más demandadas, sus ventas han pasando de 7.2 m. de dólares en 1999 a 40.6 m. de dó...

Políticas de protección de la arquitectura patrimonial iquiqueña

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenio Gutiérrez Gebauer

2001-07-01

Full Text Available Que la ciudad de Iquique, haya sido un área urbana que ha estado desde siempre alejada de los grandes centros urbanos, aislada por el desierto, contacto tradicional por vía marítima y que haya albergado un importante porcentaje de población foránea, con importantes colonias residentes, y a lo que se suma la propia peculiaridad de la influencia del período del auge del salitre, han sido elementos que han marcado y explican las características de haberse constituido en un importante centro de intercambio cultural, al que se ha sumado un tipo de vida particular al que se asocia su peculiar arquitectura.

1.8. Brand*, HA Badenhorst, FK 8iebrits and EH Kemm JP Hayes et ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Brand*, H.A. Badenhorst, F.K. 8iebrits and E.H. Kemm. Animal and Dairy Science Research Institute, Private Bag X2, Irene 1675, Republic of South Africa. J.P. Hayes. Department of Poultry Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, Republic of South Africa. The experiment was conducted to compare the ...

Comparing response options for the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) and for Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI) daily-use items.

Science.gov (United States)

Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Hickson, Louise; Worrall, Linda

2012-10-01

This study investigated how clients quantify use of hearing rehabilitation. Comparisons focused on the daily-use item of the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), and for Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI). Adults with hearing impairment completed the original versions of the IOI-HA and the IOI-AI daily-use item which has five numerical response options (e.g. 1-4 hours/day) and a modified version with five word response options (e.g. 'Sometimes'). Respondents completed both IOI versions immediately after intervention completion and three months later. In total, 64 people who had obtained hearing aids completed both IOI-HA versions and 27 people who had participated in communication programs completed both IOI-AI versions. Participants reported higher scores on the modified (word) daily-use item than on the original (number) daily-use item. Participants who completed the IOI-AI did so significantly more than participants who completed the IOI-HA. This was true both after intervention completion and three months later. This study showed that comparisons between IOI-HA and IOI-AI daily-use item scores should be made with caution. Word daily-use response options are recommended for the IOI-AI (i.e. Never; Rarely; Sometimes; Often; and Almost always).

Evaluation of user satisfaction of hearing aids (HA in the Amazon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arakawa, Aline Megumi

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The main function of human hearing is enabling oral communication. In this sense, hearing loss impairs severely communication skills and social relationships of individuals. Therefore, the project "USP in Rondônia" of FOB/USP conducts expeditions travelling to the municipality from Monte Negro/RO allowing the promotion of hearing health. Objective: To assess the level of satisfaction user with hearing aids (HA. Method: Was accomplished a prospective study of 18 individuals with hearing loss fitted with hearing aids in the Clinic of Oral and Fono Audiological Health from Monte Negro/RO. For the evaluation, we used the questionnaire for self-assessment IOI-HA (International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids. Results: Concerning the seven domains assessed, it was verified that the average referring to the use was 4.2, the benefit was 3.9, the limiting of residual activity was 3.7; the satisfaction was 4.4, the restriction of participation of residual activity was 3.8, the impact on others was 4.3 and 3.9 for the quality of life. Respecting the factors one and two, it was applied the statistical test t-Student founding no statistically significant difference. However, the analysis of the score relative to factors one and two showed good results as the individual's interaction with his hearing aid and with their environment, respectively. Conclusion: With this study, we can demonstrate the high grade of satisfaction from the use of hearing aids presented by the majority of the sample collected in all domains analyzed.

Incoming human papillomavirus 16 genome is lost in PML protein-deficient HaCaT keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bienkowska-Haba, Malgorzata; Luszczek, Wioleta; Keiffer, Timothy R; Guion, Lucile G M; DiGiuseppe, Stephen; Scott, Rona S; Sapp, Martin

2017-05-01

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) target promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies (NBs) during infectious entry and PML protein is important for efficient transcription of incoming viral genome. However, the transcriptional down regulation was shown to be promoter-independent in that heterologous promoters delivered by papillomavirus particles were also affected. To further investigate the role of PML protein in HPV entry, we used small hairpin RNA to knockdown PML protein in HaCaT keratinocytes. Confirming previous findings, PML knockdown in HaCaT cells reduced HPV16 transcript levels significantly following infectious entry without impairing binding and trafficking. However, when we quantified steady-state levels of pseudogenomes in interphase cells, we found strongly reduced genome levels compared with parental HaCaT cells. Because nuclear delivery was comparable in both cell lines, we conclude that viral pseudogenome must be removed after successful nuclear delivery. Transcriptome analysis by gene array revealed that PML knockdown in clonal HaCaT cells was associated with a constitutive interferon response. Abrogation of JAK1/2 signaling prevented genome loss, however, did not restore viral transcription. In contrast, knockdown of PML protein in HeLa cells did not affect HPV genome delivery and transcription. HeLa cells are transformed by HPV18 oncogenes E6 and E7, which have been shown to interfere with the JAK/Stat signaling pathway. Our data imply that PML NBs protect incoming HPV genomes. Furthermore, they provide evidence that PML NBs are key regulators of the innate immune response in keratinocytes. Promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs) are important for antiviral defense. Many DNA viruses target these subnuclear structures and reorganize them. Reorganization of PML NBs by viral proteins is important for establishment of infection. In contrast, HPVs require the presence of PML protein for efficient transcription of incoming viral genome. Our

In vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo osseointergration properties of compression-molded HDPE-HA-Al2O3 hybrid biocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Garima; Gough, Julie E; Dinda, Amit; Basu, Bikramjit

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo biocompatibility in terms of healing of long segmental bone defect in rabbit model as well as in vitro cytotoxicity of eluates of compression-molded High density polyethylene (HDPE)-hydroxyapatite (HA)-aluminum oxide (Al2O3) composite-based implant material. Based on the physical property in terms of modulus and strength properties, as reported in our recent publication, HDPE-40 wt % HA and HDPE-20 wt % HA-20 wt % Al2O3 hybrid composites were used for biocompatibility assessment. Osteoblasts cells were cultured in conditioned media, which contains varying amount of composite eluate (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 wt %). In vitro, the eluates did not exhibit any significant negative impact on proliferation, mineralization or on morphology of human osteoblast cells. In vivo, the histological assessment revealed neobone formation at the bone/implant interface, characterized by the presence of osteoid and osteoblasts. The observation of osteoclastic activity indicates the process of bone remodeling. No inflammation to any noticeable extent was observed at the implantation site. Overall, the combination of in vitro and in vivo results are suggestive of potential biomedical application of compression-molded HDPE- 20 wt % HA- 20 wt % Al2O3 composites to heal long segmental bone defects without causing any toxicity of bone cells. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

7 CFR 1901.505 - Certificates of beneficial ownership in FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 loans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... ownership in FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 loans. (a) Special trust of loans—(1) Establishment of special trusts. From time to time FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 will... successor agency under Public Law 103-354 will own an interest in special trusts equal to the amount by...

7 CFR 1955.12 - Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA or its successor...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Chattel Property § 1955.12 Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA... 7 Agriculture 14 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Acquisition of property which served as security for a loan guarantee by FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 or at sale by another...

Què ha de tenir en compte l'usuari d'ordinador?

OpenAIRE

Valls Oriol, Maria Mercè

2014-01-01

El treball que aquí es presenta és la creació d'un curs online pilot amb la plataforma online i gratuïta Chamilo per realitzar formació en l'empresa Consorci Sanitari (que no té plataforma virtual d'aprenentatge implantada). La temàtica del curs es basa en tot el que fa referència a l'ergonomia relacionada amb la utilització dels ordinadors. La creació del curs s'ha realitzat amb la metodologia ADDIE obtenint resultats positius, fet que conclou que la implementació d'una plataforma virtual d'...

Spectroscopic analyses on sonocatalytic damage to bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced by ZnO/hydroxylapatite (ZnO/HA) composite under ultrasonic irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiqiu; Li, Ying; Wang, Jun; Zou, Mingming; Gao, Jingqun; Kong, Yumei; Li, Kai; Han, Guangxi

ZnO/hydroxylapatite (ZnO/HA) composite with HA molar content of 6.0% was prepared by the method of precipitation and heat-treated at 500 °C for 40 min and was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The sonocatalytic activities of ZnO/HA composite was carried out through the damage of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the effects of several factors on the damage of BSA molecules were evaluated by means of UV-vis and fluorescence spectra. Experimental results indicated that the damage degree of BSA aggravated with the increase of ultrasonic irradiation time, irradiation power and ZnO/HA addition amount, but weakened with the increase of solution acidity and ionic strength. In addition, the damage site to BSA was also studied by synchronous fluorescence technology and the damage site was mainly at tryptophan (Trp) residue. This paper provides a valuable reference for driving sonocatalytic method to treat tumor in clinic application.

¿Ha mejorado la calidad de los comedores escolares españoles?

OpenAIRE

Martínez Pérez, Naiara

2016-01-01

El aumento de la prevalencia de la obesidad infantil debido a la crisis financiera y en consecuencia, a la transición nutricional, ha aumentado la preocupación por los alimentos consumidos en los comedores escolares españoles. The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity due to the financial crisis and consequently the nutrition transition, has increased concern for Spanish food consumed in school canteens. L'augment de la prevalença de l'obesitat infantil a causa de la crisi financer...

Insights into the interaction between nucleoid-associated proteins H ha and H-NS by NMR and fluorescence anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordeiro, T.N.; Garcia, J.; Pons, M.

2005-01-01

NMR and fluorescence anisotropy are both valuable tools for studying bio molecular interactions. NMR can provide structural insights at atomic resolution. Still, it can be wisely complemented by lower-resolution biophysical techniques, such as fluorescence anisotropy. In this article we report the combination of NMR and fluorescence anisotropy in establishing novel structure-function insights into the interaction between two bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins, H ha and H-NS. H ha (H-NS) complexes are known to play an important role in modulating the expression of some environmentally regulated genes that confer survival advantage in a particular growth condition. (author)

Insights into the interaction between nucleoid-associated proteins H ha and H-NS by NMR and fluorescence anisotropy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cordeiro, T.N.; Garcia, J. [Institut de Recerca Biomedica-Parc Cientific de (Spain). Lab. of Biomolecular NMR; Pons, M. [Universitat de Barcelona (Spain). Dept. de Quimica Organica]. E-mail: mpons@ub.edu

2005-07-01

NMR and fluorescence anisotropy are both valuable tools for studying bio molecular interactions. NMR can provide structural insights at atomic resolution. Still, it can be wisely complemented by lower-resolution biophysical techniques, such as fluorescence anisotropy. In this article we report the combination of NMR and fluorescence anisotropy in establishing novel structure-function insights into the interaction between two bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins, H ha and H-NS. H ha (H-NS) complexes are known to play an important role in modulating the expression of some environmentally regulated genes that confer survival advantage in a particular growth condition. (author)

Endiguer la vague de criminalité en Haïti | CRDI - Centre de ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

17 avr. 2012 ... En Haïti, les signes de danger sautent littéralement aux yeux. Dans nombre des quartiers de Port‑au‑Prince dont les murs sont couverts de graffitis, on observe une grave escalade de la violence meurtrière. La montée en flèche du nombre de meurtres, de crimes contre les biens et de voies de fait, qui s'est ...

Mucosal and Systemic Immune Responses to Influenza H7N9 Antigen HA1-2 Co-Delivered Intranasally with Flagellin or Polyethyleneimine in Mice and Chickens.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Li; Xiong, Dan; Song, Hongqin; Wu, Lili; Zhang, Meihua; Kang, Xilong; Pan, Zhiming; Jiao, Xinan

2017-01-01

Consecutive cases of human infection with H7N9 influenza viruses since 2013 in China have prompted efforts to develop an effective treatment. Subunit vaccines introduced by intranasal administration can block an infection at its primary site; flagellin (fliC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) have been shown to be potent adjuvants. We previously generated the hemagglutinin (HA)1-2-fliC fusion protein consisting of the globular head domain (HA1-2; amino acids 62-284) of HA fused with Salmonella typhimurium fliC. In the present study, we investigated its effectiveness of both flagellin and PEI as mucosal adjuvants for the H7N9 influenza subunit vaccine. Mice immunized intranasally with HA1-2-fliC and HA1-2-PEI showed higher HA1-2-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA titers in serum, nasal wash, and bronchial alveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, splenocyte activation and proliferation and the number of HA1-2-specific interferon (IFN)-γ- and interleukin (IL)-4-producing splenocytes were markedly increased in the fliC and PEI groups; in the latter, there were more cells secreting IL-4 than IFN-γ, suggesting that fliC induced T helper type (Th)1 and Th2 immune responses, and PEI induced Th2-biased responses, consistent with the serum antibody isotype pattern (IgG1/IgG2a ratio). Furthermore, virus challenge was performed in a chicken model. The results showed that chickens receiving fliC and PEI adjuvant vaccine exhibited robust immune responses leading to a significant reduction in viral loads of throat and cloaca compared to chickens receiving only HA1-2. These findings provide a basis for the development of H7N9 influenza HA1-2 mucosal subunit vaccines.

In vitro and in vivo evaluations of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66/glass fibre (n-HA/PA66/GF as a novel bioactive bone screw.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bao Su

Full Text Available In this study, we prepared nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66/glass fibre (n-HA/PA66/GF bioactive bone screws. The microstructure, morphology and coating of the screws were characterised, and the adhesion, proliferation and viability of MC3T3-E1 cells on n-HA/PA66/GF scaffolds were determined using scanning electron microscope, CCK-8 assays and cellular immunofluorescence analysis. The results confirmed that n-HA/PA66/GF scaffolds were biocompatible and had no negative effect on MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro. To investigate the in vivo biocompatibility, internal fixation properties and osteogenesis of the bioactive screws, both n-HA/PA66/GF screws and metallic screws were used to repair intercondylar femur fractures in dogs. General photography, CT examination, micro-CT examination, histological staining and biomechanical assays were performed at 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks after operation. The n-HA/PA66/GF screws exhibited good biocompatibility, high mechanical strength and extensive osteogenesis in the host bone. Moreover, 24 weeks after implantation, the maximum push-out load of the bioactive screws was greater than that of the metallic screws. As shown by their good cytocompatibility, excellent biomechanical strength and fast formation and ingrowth of new bone, n-HA/PA66/GF screws are thus suitable for orthopaedic clinical applications.

Equidad, desarrollo y paz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Iván GONZÁLEZ

2009-11-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN: El eje del artículo es la relación que establece el autor entre desarrollo económico y violencia. En Colombia la situación económica se ha deteriorado en gran medida como consecuencia de la política económica y del modelo de desarrollo y éstos son responsables de la agudización de la violencia. La desigual distribución de la riqueza y la ortodoxia monetaria han estimulado la concentración y han propiciado la exclusión. Aunque la relación no es mecánica, esta situación es un elemento para la rebelión. El costo social de la política económica neoliberal ha sido elevado, a pesar de que los programas sociales han puesto énfasis en la lucha contra la pobreza. Este enfoque debe modificarse, puesto que privilegiando la equidad y aminorando la concentración del ingreso, se estimula el desarrollo, se reduce la pobreza y en consecuencia, se crea un clima propicio para el diálogo y la paz.ABSTRACT: The core of the article is the relationship between economic development and violence that the author establishes. The economic situation in Colombia has been deterioring as consequence of the economic policy and the way of development. Both of them are responsibles of the violence intensification. The unequal wealth distribution and monetary orthodoxy have stimulated the concentration and have created a favorable atmosphere for exclusion. The social cost of neoliberal economic policies has been high despite the fact that social programs have focused on fighting poverty. This approach must be modified. Development is stimulated by granting privilege to equality and reducing the income concentration . In doing so, the rigth atmosphere for dialogue and peace is created.

Situación de salud de reclusos de un centro de cumplimiento penitenciario, Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Osses-Paredes

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Introducción: La población penitenciaria ha ido en aumento, y con ello las necesidades en salud, siendo catalogada como una población vulnerable. Por otro lado, las personas privadas de libertad mantienen los derechos inherentes al ser humano, entre ellos el derecho a la salud, el cual en algunas oportunidades se encuentra relegado. Objetivo: Caracterizar la situación de salud de reclusos de un centro de cumplimiento penitenciario, y su grado de satisfacción con la atención en salud brindada. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, llevado a cabo en el centro de cumplimiento penitenciario El Manzano, Concepción, durante octubre 2011-febrero 2012 mediante la aplicación del Examen de medicina preventiva y un cuestionario de antecedentes sociodemográficos y de salud, incluyendo reclusos de sexo masculino y femenino mayores de 18 años en régimen cerrado. Resultados: Un 85% de la población estudiada eran hombres, la edad promedio fue 34 años, el 91,2% recibe visitas, el promedio de reclusión fue 38 meses. El 45% posee al menos una enfermedad diagnosticada, primando los desórdenes mentales, patologías del sistema respiratorio y circulatorio. Un 56% de los reclusos ha solicitado atención en salud con poca frecuencia, encontrándose 33% muy satisfecho y 32% satisfecho en lo relativo a los servicios sanitarios del penal. Discusión: El estado de salud de la población penal se encuentra más deteriorado que el de la población general, con necesidades mayores y distintas, sin embargo existe una percepción de un buen estado de salud y una tendencia al alto grado de satisfacción de los servicios sanitarios.

Calcitriol increases Dicer expression and modifies the microRNAs signature in SiHa cervical cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Duarte, Ramiro José; Cázares-Ordoñez, Verna; Romero-Córdoba, Sandra; Díaz, Lorenza; Ortíz, Víctor; Freyre-González, Julio Augusto; Hidalgo-Miranda, Alfredo; Larrea, Fernando; Avila, Euclides

2015-08-01

MicroRNAs play important roles in cancer biology. Calcitriol, the hormonal form of vitamin D3, regulates microRNAs expression in tumor cells. In the present study we asked if calcitriol would modify some of the components of the microRNA processing machinery, namely, Drosha and Dicer, in calcitriol-responsive cervical cancer cells. We found that calcitriol treatment did not affect Drosha mRNA; however, it significantly increased Dicer mRNA and protein expression in VDR-positive SiHa and HeLa cells. In VDR-negative C33-A cells, calcitriol had no effect on Dicer mRNA. We also found a vitamin D response element in Dicer promoter that interacts in vitro to vitamin D and retinoid X receptors. To explore the biological plausibility of these results, we asked if calcitriol alters the microRNA expression profile in SiHa cells. Our results revealed that calcitriol regulates the expression of a subset of microRNAs with potential regulatory functions in cancer pathways, such as miR-22, miR-296-3p, and miR-498, which exert tumor-suppressive effects. In summary, the data indicate that in SiHa cells, calcitriol stimulates the expression of Dicer possibly through the vitamin D response element located in its promoter. This may explain the calcitriol-dependent modulation of microRNAs whose target mRNAs are related to anticancer pathways, further adding to the various anticancer mechanisms of calcitriol.

MREIT conductivity imaging of the postmortem canine abdomen using CoReHA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Kiwan; Lee, Chang-Ock; Minhas, Atul S; Kim, Young Tae; Jeong, Woo Chul; Kim, Hyung Joong; Woo, Eung Je; Kang, Byeong Teck; Park, Hee Myung; Seo, Jin Keun

2009-01-01

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is a new bio-imaging modality providing cross-sectional conductivity images from measurements of internal magnetic flux densities produced by externally injected currents. Recent experimental results of postmortem and in vivo imaging of the canine brain demonstrated its feasibility by showing conductivity images with meaningful contrast among different brain tissues. MREIT image reconstructions involve a series of data processing steps such as k-space data handling, phase unwrapping, image segmentation, meshing, modelling, finite element computation, denoising and so on. To facilitate experimental studies, we need a software tool that automates these data processing steps. In this paper, we summarize such an MREIT software package called CoReHA (conductivity reconstructor using harmonic algorithms). Performing imaging experiments of the postmortem canine abdomen, we demonstrate how CoReHA can be utilized in MREIT. The abdomen with a relatively large field of view and various organs imposes new technical challenges when it is chosen as an imaging domain. Summarizing a few improvements in the experimental MREIT technique, we report our first conductivity images of the postmortem canine abdomen. Illustrating reconstructed conductivity images, we discuss how they discern different organs including the kidney, spleen, stomach and small intestine. We elaborate, as an example, that conductivity images of the kidney show clear contrast among cortex, internal medulla, renal pelvis and urethra. We end this paper with a brief discussion on future work using different animal models

24.000 ha de păduri primare de fag, propunerea României pentru Patrimoniul Mondial UNESCO [24000 ha of primary beech forests, the Romanian proposal in UNESCO World Heritage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Biriș I.-A.

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Under the coordination of The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, about 24000 ha of primeval beech forests located in 8 natural protected area from the Romanian Carpathians were included for inscription into the World Heritage List to extend the „Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany” (1133bis. The extended World Heritage property is proposed to carry the joint new name: „Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”. Supported by 13 European countries (Romania included, the nomination proposes to establish a transnational serial UNESCO property, with a surface of more that 95000 ha, that reunites the most representative and well preserved beech forests from the natural areal of this species in order to illustrate the ecological process of extension - that is in progress at present - of beech on the European continent. The process of choosing these canditate sites was thought for completing the existent sites and for providing arguments and reflecting better on the extension of species distribution at the level of Europe. At the end of January 2016, Austria, the coordinator country of the nomination process at the international level transmitted the common dossier for the nomination to the committee of evaluation of UNESCO World Heritage List.

Broad cross-reactive IgG responses elicited by adjuvanted vaccination with recombinant influenza hemagglutinin (rHA) in ferrets and mice

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiong; Hilchey, Shannon P.; DeDiego, Marta; Perry, Sheldon; Hyrien, Ollivier; Nogales, Aitor; Garigen, Jessica; Amanat, Fatima; Huertas, Nelson; Krammer, Florian; Martinez-Sobrido, Luis; Topham, David J.; Treanor, John J.; Sangster, Mark Y.

2018-01-01

Annual immunization against influenza virus is a large international public health effort. Accumulating evidence suggests that antibody mediated cross-reactive immunity against influenza hemagglutinin (HA) strongly correlates with long-lasting cross-protection against influenza virus strains that differ from the primary infection or vaccination strain. However, the optimal strategies for achieving highly cross-reactive antibodies to the influenza virus HA have not yet to be defined. In the current study, using Luminex-based mPlex-Flu assay, developed by our laboratory, to quantitatively measure influenza specific IgG antibody mediated cross-reactivity, we found that prime-boost-boost vaccination of ferrets with rHA proteins admixed with adjuvant elicited higher magnitude and broader cross-reactive antibody responses than that induced by actual influenza viral infection, and this cross-reactive response likely correlated with increased anti-stalk reactive antibodies. We observed a similar phenomenon in mice receiving three sequential vaccinations with rHA proteins from either A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) or A/Hong Kong/1/1968 (H3N2) viruses admixed with Addavax, an MF59-like adjuvant. Using this same mouse vaccination model, we determined that Addavax plays a more significant role in the initial priming event than in subsequent boosts. We also characterized the generation of cross-reactive antibody secreting cells (ASCs) and memory B cells (MBCs) when comparing vaccination to viral infection. We have also found that adjuvant plays a critical role in the generation of long-lived ASCs and MBCs cross-reactive to influenza viruses as a result of vaccination with rHA of influenza virus, and the observed increase in stalk-reactive antibodies likely contributes to this IgG mediated broad cross-reactivity. PMID:29641537

Synergistic augmentation of ATP-induced interleukin-6 production by arsenite in HaCaT cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumi, Daigo; Asao, Masashi; Okada, Hideta; Yogi, Kuniko; Miyataka, Hideki; Himeno, Seiichiro

2016-06-01

Chronic arsenic exposure causes cutaneous diseases such as hyperkeratosis and skin cancer. However, little information has been available regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying these symptoms. Because extracellular ATP and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are involved in pathological aspects of cutaneous diseases, we examined whether sodium arsenite (As(III)) affects ATP-induced IL-6 production in human epidermal keratinocyte HaCaT cells. The results showed that the addition of As(III) into the medium of HaCaT cells dose dependently increased the production of IL-6 induced by extracellular ATP, although As(III) alone had no effect on IL-6 production. To elucidate the mechanism of the synergistic effect of As(III) on IL-6 production by extracellular ATP, we next examined the phosphorylation of p38, ERK and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), since we found that these signaling molecules were stimulated by exposure to extracellular ATP. The results indicated that ATP-induced phosphorylation of p38, ERK and EGFR was synergistically enhanced by co-exposure to As(III). To clarify the mechanisms underlying the enhanced phosphorylation of p38, ERK and EGFR by As(III), we explored two possible mechanisms: the inhibition of extracellular ATP degradation and the inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) activity by As(III). The degradation of extracellular ATP was not changed by As(III), whereas the activity of PTPs was significantly inhibited by As(III). Our results suggest that As(III) augments ATP-induced IL-6 production in HaCaT cells through enhanced phosphorylation of the EGFR and p38/ERK pathways, which is associated with the inhibition of PTPs activity.

Les stratégies spatiales de la population haïtienne à Miami

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cédric Audebert

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Le schéma migratoire haïtien s’est traduit par la genèse d’un champ migratoire international entre le pays d’origine et Miami, où la population d’origine haïtienne a enregistré une croissance rapide. Dans une métropole floridienne marquée par une forte ségrégation « ethno-raciale » et socio-économique, les nouveaux venus se sont installés à l’origine dans les quartiers noirs centraux paupérisés. Les incidences de la politique migratoire fédérale sont apparues contrastées, occasionnant le repli sur soi des immigrants à Little Haiti lorsqu’elle était défavorable ou rendant possible la mobilité résidentielle dans une conjoncture d’assouplissement de la législation. Ultérieurement, la complexité croissante de l’espace de l’immigration haïtienne, caractérisé par une évolution rapide de son étendue et de ses formes, s’est manifestée par une dichotomie marquée entre l’« enclave » traditionnelle et les nouveaux espaces d’installation en banlieue. Résultat d’une dynamique d’agrégation autant choisie que contrainte, la concentration spatiale des Haïtiens à Miami s’est traduite par la genèse de secteurs d’implantation privilégiée, terrains favorables à la mise en place de processus de territorialisation complexes. L’apprentissage mental et fonctionnel de l’espace vise à faire sienne la terre d’immigration et à la doter de sens, et apparaît comme le préalable à la mise en place de stratégies collectives de territorialisation. La « prise de possession » d’une portion de l’aire métropolitaine et son affectation à des activités sociales, commerciales et de représentation politique visent à assurer la pérennité du lien communautaire haïtien en créant de la cohésion, de la solidarité et de la socialité.Haitian emigration has evolved within the growing dependency of Haiti from the United States throughout the XXth century. The Haitian migratory pattern

Radiochemistry, pre-clinical studies and first clinical investigation of 90Y-labeled hydroxyapatite (HA) particles prepared utilizing 90Y produced by (n,γ) route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vimalnath, K.V.; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Rajeswari, A.; Sarma, H.D.; Nuwad, Jitendra; Pandey, Usha; Kamaleshwaran, K.; Shinto, Ajit; Dash, Ashutosh

2015-01-01

Introduction: The scope of using no carrier added (NCA) 90 Y [T 1/2 = 64.1 h, E β(max) = 2.28 MeV] obtained from 90 Sr/ 90 Y generator in radiation synovectomy (RSV) is widely accepted. In the present study, the prospect of using 90 Y produced by (n,γ) route in a medium flux research reactor for use in RSV was explored. Methods: Yttrium-90 was produced by thermal neutron irradiation of Y 2 O 3 target at a neutron flux of ~ 1 × 10 14 n/cm 2 .s for 14 d. The influence of various experimental parameters were systematically investigated and optimized to arrive at the most favorable conditions for the formulation of 90 Y labeled hydroxyapatite (HA) using HA particles of 1–10 μm size range. An optimized kit formulation strategy was developed for convenient one-step compounding of 90 Y-HA, which is easily adaptable at hospital radiopharmacy. The pre-clinical biological evaluation of 90 Y-HA particles was studied by carrying out biodistribution and bioluminiscence imaging studies in Wistar rats. The first clinical investigation using the radiolabeled preparation was performed on a patient suffering from chronic arthritis in knee joint by administering 185 MBq 90 Y-HA formulated at the hospital radiopharmacy deploying the proposed strategy. Results: Yttrium-90 was produced with a specific activity of 851 ± 111 MBq/mg and radionuclidic purity of 99.95 ± 0.02%. 90 Y-labeled HA particles (185 ± 10 MBq doses) were formulated in high radiochemical purity (> 99%) and excellent in vitro stability. The preparation showed promising results in pre-clinical studies carried out in Wistar rats. The preliminary results of the first clinical investigation of 90 Y-HA preparation in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis in knee joints demonstrated the effectiveness of the formulation prepared using 90 Y produced via (n,γ) route in the management of the disease. Conclusion: The studies revealed that effective utilization of 90 Y produced via (n,γ) route in a medium flux research

In vitro and in vivo performance of bioactive Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA implants fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Choy, Man Tik; Tang, Chak Yin; Chen, Ling; Wong, Chi Tak; Tsui, Chi Pong

2014-09-01

Failure of the bone-implant interface in a joint prosthesis is a main cause of implant loosening. The introduction of a bioactive substance, hydroxyapatite (HA), to a metallic bone-implant may enhance its fixation on human bone by encouraging direct bone bonding. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites with a reproducible porous structure (porosity of 27% and pore size of 6-89 μm) were successfully fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique. This method allows the biocomposites to be fabricated in a short period of time under ambient conditions. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites exhibited a compressive strength of 93 MPa, compressive modulus of 2.9 GPa and microhardness of 556 HV which are close to those of the human cortical bone. The in vitro preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite showed that the composite surface could provide a biocompatible environment for cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation without any cytotoxic effects. This is among the first attempts to study the in vivo performance of load-bearing Ti6Al4V/TiC and Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites in a live rabbit. The results indicated that the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite had a better bone-implant interface compared with the Ti6Al4V/TiC implant. Based on the microstructural features, the mechanical properties, and the in vitro and in vivo test results from this study, the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites have the potential to be employed in load-bearing orthopedic applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Proteasome Inhibitor MG-132 Protects Hypoxic SiHa Cervical Carcinoma Cells after Cyclic Hypoxia/Reoxygenation from Ionizing Radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Pajonk

2006-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Transient hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation are common phenomena in solid tumors that greatly influence the outcome of radiation therapy. This study was designed to determine how varying cycles of hypoxia/reoxygenation affect the response of cervical carcinoma cells irradiated under oxic and hypoxic conditions and whether this could be modulated by proteasome inhibition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plateau-phase SiHa cervical carcinoma cells in culture were exposed to varying numbers of 30-minute cycles of hypoxia/reoxygenation directly before irradiation under oxic or hypoxic conditions. 26S Proteasome activity was blocked by addition of MG-132. Clonogenic survival was measured by a colonyforming assay. RESULTS: Under oxic conditions, repeated cycles of hypoxia/reoxygenation decreased the clonogenic survival of SiHa cells. This effect was even more pronounced after the inhibition of 26S proteasome complex. In contrast, under hypoxic conditions, SiHa cells were radioresistant, as expected, but this was increased by proteasome inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Proteasome inhibition radiosensitizes oxygenated tumor cells but may also protect tumor cells from ionizing radiation under certain hypoxic conditions.

Wide-range stiffness gradient PVA/HA hydrogel to investigate stem cell differentiation behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Se Heang; An, Dan Bi; Kim, Tae Ho; Lee, Jin Ho

2016-04-15

Although stiffness-controllable substrates have been developed to investigate the effect of stiffness on cell behavior and function, the use of separate substrates with different degrees of stiffness, substrates with a narrow range stiffness gradient, toxicity of residues, different surface composition, complex fabrication procedures/devices, and low cell adhesion are still considered as hurdles of conventional techniques. In this study, a cylindrical polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel with a wide-range stiffness gradient (between ∼20kPa and ∼200kPa) and cell adhesiveness was prepared by a liquid nitrogen (LN2)-contacting gradual freezing-thawing method that does not use any additives or specific devices to produce the stiffness gradient hydrogel. From an in vitro cell culture using the stiffness gradient PVA/HA hydrogel, it was observed that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have favorable stiffness ranges for induction of differentiation into specific cell types (∼20kPa for nerve cell, ∼40kPa for muscle cell, ∼80kPa for chondrocyte, and ∼190kPa for osteoblast). The PVA/HA hydrogel with a wide range of stiffness spectrum can be a useful tool for basic studies related with the stem cell differentiation, cell reprogramming, cell migration, and tissue regeneration in terms of substrate stiffness. It is postulated that the stiffness of the extracellular matrix influences cell behavior. To prove this concept, various techniques to prepare substrates with a stiffness gradient have been developed. However, the narrow ranges of stiffness gradient and complex fabrication procedures/devices are still remained as limitations. Herein, we develop a substrate (hydrogel) with a wide-range stiffness gradient using a gradual freezing-thawing method which does not need specific devices to produce a stiffness gradient hydrogel. From cell culture experiments using the hydrogel, it is observed that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have

Un poco de Matemagia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Mª Navas

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Junto a los clásicos juegos de manipulación, para los que se necesita una considerable habilidad manual, hay otra rama del ilusionismo que se basa en procedimientos más sutiles, entre los que están cogiendo auge en los últimos años los que parten de conceptos matemáticos, algunos enormemente simples, otros de cierta complejidad. Así nació lo que ha dado en llamarse Matemagia.

Viralidad e interacción. Análisis del engagement de los diez anuncios más vistos en YouTube en España en 2016

OpenAIRE

Segarra-Saavedra, Jesús; Hidalgo-Marí, Tatiana

2018-01-01

Dados los profundos cambios detectados en el panorama comunicativo en general y la actividad publicitaria en particular, el storytelling se ha convertido en un formato en auge que, progresivamente, va adquiriendo mayor relevancia en la estrategia de branding de los anunciantes españoles. El uso profesional de redes sociales, plataformas audiovisuales y aplicaciones se va extendiendo de la mano de las narrativas transmedia. Entre todos los canales utilizados, YouTube –dada su vinculación con G...

Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective effects of a trivalent chimeric norovirus P particle immunogen displaying influenza HA2 from subtypes H1, H3 and B.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xin; Yin, He; Shi, Yuhua; He, Xiaoqiu; Yu, Yongjiao; Guan, Shanshan; Kuai, Ziyu; Haji, Nasteha M; Haji, Nafisa M; Kong, Wei; Shan, Yaming

2016-05-25

The ectodomain of the influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (HA) stem is highly conserved across strains and has shown promise as a universal influenza vaccine in a mouse model. In this study, potential B-cell epitopes were found through sequence alignment and epitope prediction in a stem fragment, HA2:90-105, which is highly conserved among virus subtypes H1, H3 and B. A norovirus (NoV) P particle platform was used to express the HA2:90-105 sequences from subtypes H1, H3 and B in loops 1, 2 and 3 of the protrusion (P) domain, respectively. Through mouse immunization and microneutralization assays, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the chimeric NoV P particle (trivalent HA2-PP) were tested against infection with three subtypes (H1N1, H3N2 and B) of IAV in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The protective efficacy of the trivalent HA2-PP was also evaluated preliminarily in vivo by virus challenge in the mouse model. The trivalent HA2-PP immunogen induced significant IgG antibody responses, which could be enhanced by a virus booster vaccination. Moreover, the trivalent HA2-PP immunogen also demonstrated in vitro neutralization of the H3 and B viruses, and in vivo protection against the H3 virus. Our results support the notion that a broadly protective vaccine approach using an HA2-based NoV P particle platform can provide cross-protection against challenge viruses of different IAV subtypes. The efficacy of the immunogen should be further enhanced for practicality, and a better understanding of the protective immune mechanism will be critical for the development of HA2-based multivalent vaccines.

Tensile behaviour and properties of a bone analogue composite (HA, HDPE) crosslinked by gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, G.; Smolko, Eduardo E.

2005-01-01

A natural composite material, hydroxyapatite (HA) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) crosslinked by ionizing radiations is been developed as a bioactive analogue material for bone replacement. Mechanical properties of the composites irradiated up to 300 kGy under tensile tests was studied. Gel content and micrographs of different composite fractures are shown. (author)

Evoluciones del lenguaje cinematográfico en la era digital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Carrillo Cal y Mayor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Los códigos estéticos y narrativos del medio audiovisual, instituidos por el cine y luego extendidos a la televisión y los otros formatos audiovisuales, se han visto constantemente innovados a lo largo de la historia a causa de los distintos cambios sociales y tecnológicos, así como de las propias experimentaciones creativas de los autores. La era digital, coincidente con la posmodernidad, ha tenido un modo propio de influir en este desarrollo del lenguaje cinematográfico a partir factores como la cultura visual de los espectadores, los otros medios narrativos y el soporte digital junto con el auge de internet que ha propiciado un cambio significativo en el cine como industria y como arte.

Provisioning the Ritual Neolithic Site of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel at the Dawn of Animal Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Jacqueline S; Goring-Morris, A Nigel; Munro, Natalie D

2016-01-01

It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000-9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010-2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh-the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early-Late periods, 10,600-8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.

Biomolecule-loaded chitosan nanoparticles induce apoptosis and molecular changes in cancer cell line (SiHa).

Science.gov (United States)

Sujima Anbu, Anbu; Velmurugan, Palanivel; Lee, Jeong-Ho; Oh, Byung-Taek; Venkatachalam, Perumal

2016-07-01

The present study reports on the synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) using methanol extracts of Gymnema sylvestre (GS) leaves and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CZ) bark. Biomolecule-loaded nanoparticles induced apoptosis in a human cervical cancer (SiHa) cell line, and experiments were carried out to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. FT-IR and XRD showed possible functional groups of the biomolecules and the crystalline nature of CNPs, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that synthesized GSCNPs and CZCNPs had a smooth spherical shape with average sizes of about 58-80 and 60-120nm, respectively. Dynamic light scattering studies indicated that both GSCNPs and CZCNs were structurally stable with homogenous and heterogeneous natures, respectively. Furthermore, synthesized GSCNPs and CZCNPs exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against the SiHa cancer cell line, with inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 102.17μg/ml, 87.75μg/ml, 132.74μg/ml and 90.35μg/ml for GS leaf extract, GSCNPs, CZBE and CZCNPs, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sr, Mg cosubstituted HA porous macro-granules: potentialities as resorbable bone filler with antiosteoporotic functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Landi, Elena; Uggeri, Jacopo; Medri, Valentina; Guizzardi, Stefano

2013-09-01

Porous macro-granules of nanostructured apatite with Ca ions partially cosubstituted with Mg and Sr ions in different ratios (SrMgHAs), were synthesized at 37°C and compared with Mg and/or Sr free apatites (MgHAs and HA). Strontium improved the Mg substitution extent in the apatite and the chemical-physical and thermal stability of the resulting cosubstituted apatite. Porous macro-granules of 400-600 micron with selected composition were tested for the ionic release in synthetic body fluid and the data were related with the results of preliminary cell investigation in vitro. As compared to the corresponding Sr-free granulate, the SrMgHA could be exploited to prolong the beneficial Mg release during the bone regeneration process. In addition the contemporary in situ supply of Sr, an antiosteoporotic and anticarie ion, could influence the quality of new hard tissues. The ionic multirelease created a more favorable environment for human osteoblasts, demonstrated by a proliferative effect for each dose tested in the range 0.1-10 mg/mL. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aplicación Móvil de Realidad Aumentada para la Enseñanza de la Clasificación de los Seres Vivos a Niños de Tercer GradoA Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Teaching the Classification of Living Things to Primary School’s Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cesar Augusto Solano

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC ha tenido un gran auge en lo los últimos años y es debido a este auge que se han ido introduciendo en el aula de clase con resultados prometedores. Por esta razón es indispensable crear herramientas innovadoras que fortalezcan los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de los estudiantes, además de motivarlos a usar este tipo de herramientas tanto dentro como fuera del aula. El presente documento tiene como objetivo presentar al lector la problemática existente en la enseñanza de las ciencias naturales, específicamente en el tema de la clasificación de los seres vivos para los niños de tercer grado, así como la solución propuesta a partir de las TIC.

Involvement of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A and of HA95 in pre-mRNA splicing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kvissel, Anne-Katrine; Orstavik, Sigurd; Eikvar, Sissel; Brede, Gaute; Jahnsen, Tore; Collas, Philippe; Akusjaervi, Goeran; Skalhegg, Bjorn Steen

2007-01-01

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a holoenzyme consisting of two catalytic (C) subunits bound to a regulatory (R) subunit dimer. Stimulation by cAMP dissociates the holoenzyme and causes translocation to the nucleus of a fraction of the C subunit. Apart from transcription regulation, little is known about the function of the C subunit in the nucleus. In the present report, we show that both Cα and Cβ are localized to spots in the mammalian nucleus. Double immunofluorescence analysis of splicing factor SC35 with the C subunit indicated that these spots are splicing factor compartments (SFCs). Using the E1A in vivo splicing assay, we found that catalytically active C subunits regulate alternative splicing and phosphorylate several members of the SR-protein family of splicing factors in vitro. Furthermore, nuclear C subunits co-localize with the C subunit-binding protein homologous to AKAP95, HA95. HA95 also regulates E1A alternative splicing in vivo, apparently through its N-terminal domain. Localization of the C subunit to SFCs and the E1A splicing pattern were unaffected by cAMP stimulation. Our findings demonstrate that the nuclear PKA C subunit co-locates with HA95 in SFCs and regulates pre-mRNA splicing, possibly through a cAMP-independent mechanism

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Platelet Gel Improve Bone Deposition within CAD-CAM Custom-Made Ceramic HA Scaffolds for Condyle Substitution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Ciocca

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. This study evaluated the efficacy of a regenerative approach using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and CAD-CAM customized pure and porous hydroxyapatite (HA scaffolds to replace the temporomandibular joint (TMJ condyle. Methods. Pure HA scaffolds with a 70% total porosity volume were prototyped using CAD-CAM technology to replace the two temporomandibular condyles (left and right of the same animal. MSCs were derived from the aspirated iliac crest bone marrow, and platelets were obtained from the venous blood of the sheep. Custom-made surgical guides were created by direct metal laser sintering and were used to export the virtual planning of the bone cut lines into the surgical environment. Sheep were sacrificed 4 months postoperatively. The HA scaffolds were explanted, histological specimens were prepared, and histomorphometric analysis was performed. Results. Analysis of the porosity reduction for apposition of newly formed bone showed a statistically significant difference in bone formation between condyles loaded with MSC and condyles without (P<0.05. The bone ingrowth (BI relative values of split-mouth comparison (right versus left side showed a significant difference between condyles with and without MSCs (P<0.05. Analysis of the test and control sides in the same animal using a split-mouth study design was performed; the condyle with MSCs showed greater bone formation. Conclusion. The split-mouth design confirmed an increment of bone regeneration into the HA scaffold of up to 797% upon application of MSCs.

Mesenchymal stem cells and platelet gel improve bone deposition within CAD-CAM custom-made ceramic HA scaffolds for condyle substitution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciocca, L; Donati, D; Ragazzini, S; Dozza, B; Rossi, F; Fantini, M; Spadari, A; Romagnoli, N; Landi, E; Tampieri, A; Piattelli, A; Iezzi, G; Scotti, R

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the efficacy of a regenerative approach using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and CAD-CAM customized pure and porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds to replace the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyle. Pure HA scaffolds with a 70% total porosity volume were prototyped using CAD-CAM technology to replace the two temporomandibular condyles (left and right) of the same animal. MSCs were derived from the aspirated iliac crest bone marrow, and platelets were obtained from the venous blood of the sheep. Custom-made surgical guides were created by direct metal laser sintering and were used to export the virtual planning of the bone cut lines into the surgical environment. Sheep were sacrificed 4 months postoperatively. The HA scaffolds were explanted, histological specimens were prepared, and histomorphometric analysis was performed. Analysis of the porosity reduction for apposition of newly formed bone showed a statistically significant difference in bone formation between condyles loaded with MSC and condyles without (P < 0.05). The bone ingrowth (BI) relative values of split-mouth comparison (right versus left side) showed a significant difference between condyles with and without MSCs (P < 0.05). Analysis of the test and control sides in the same animal using a split-mouth study design was performed; the condyle with MSCs showed greater bone formation. The split-mouth design confirmed an increment of bone regeneration into the HA scaffold of up to 797% upon application of MSCs.

HemX is required for production of 2-ketogluconate, the predominant organic anion required for inorganic phosphate solubilization by Burkholderia sp. Ha185.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Pei-Chun Lisa; Condron, Leo; O'Callaghan, Maureen; Hurst, Mark R H

2015-12-01

The bacterium Burkholderia sp. Ha185 readily solubilizes inorganic phosphate by releasing the low molecular weight organic anion, 2-ketogluconate. Using random transposon mutagenesis and in silico analysis, a mutation that caused almost complete abolition of phosphate solubilization was located within hemX, which is part of the hem operon. Burkholderia sp. Ha185 HemX is a multidomain protein, predicted to encode a bifunctional uroporphyrinogen-III synthetase/uroporphyrin-III C-methyltransferase, which has not previously been implicated in phosphate solubilization. Complementation of hemX restored the ability of the mutant to solubilize phosphate in both plate and liquid cultures. Based on a combination of organic-anion profiling, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in silico analyses, hemX was confirmed to be solely responsible for hydroxyapatite solubilization in Burkholderia sp. Ha185. It is proposed that the biosynthesis of a yet to be determined redox cofactor by HemX is the main pathway for generating 2-ketogluconate via a haem-dependent gluconate 2-dehydrogenase in Burkholderia sp. Ha185. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trabajo hospitalario, estrés y sufrimiento mental: deterioro de la salud de los internos en Quito, Ecuador

OpenAIRE

Breilh, Jaime

1992-01-01

Las condiciones de trabajo hospitalario en Ecuador se han deteriorado en las últimas décadas y se perfila un empeoramiento aún mayor en el contexto neoliberal. Sondeos anteriores detectaron la presencia de altos índices de sufrimiento mental en trabajadores de la salud. El presente estudio se efectuó en una muestra representativa de los internos rotativos de los cinco principales hospitales públicos de Quito que cursaban el séptimo año de la Escuela de Medicina. Se aplicaron instrumentos epid...

The every day use of the housing spaces: from vecindad to social housing in Mexico City

OpenAIRE

Esquivel Hernández, María Teresa

2003-01-01

El cambio habitacional que implica pasar de una vecindad a un departamento de interés social, es decir de una vivienda en renta, conformada por un cuarto de usos múltiples, sin servicios y deteriorado, a un pequeño departamento en propiedad, con diferenciación de espacios, con servicios integrados, construido con materiales sólidos, y que forma parte de un conjunto habitacional, es el tema de este trabajo. Desde una perspectiva cualitativa, se aborda el significado que las familias le asign...

EC assisted start-up experiments reproduction in FTU and AUG for simulations of the ITER case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granucci, G.; Ricci, D.; Farina, D.; Figini, L. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, IFP-CNR, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Cavinato, M. [F4E C/Josep Pla2, Torres Diagonal Litoral - Building 83 08019 Barcelona (Spain); Mattei, M. [CREATE via Claudio 21, 80125 Napoli (Italy); Stober, J. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Tudisco, O. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Roma) (Italy)

2014-02-12

The breakdown and plasma start-up in ITER are well known issues studied in the last few years in many tokamaks with the aid of calculation based on simplified modeling. The thickness of ITER metallic wall and the voltage limits of the Central Solenoid Power Supply strongly limit the maximum toroidal electric field achievable (0.3 V/m), well below the level used in the present generation of tokamaks. In order to have a safe and robust breakdown, the use of Electron Cyclotron Power to assist plasma formation and current rump up has been foreseen. This has raised attention on plasma formation phase in presence of EC wave, especially in order to predict the required power for a robust breakdown in ITER. Few detailed theory studies have been performed up to nowadays, due to the complexity of the problems. A simplified approach, extended from that proposed in ref[1] has been developed including a impurity multispecies distribution and an EC wave propagation and absorption based on GRAY code. This integrated model (BK0D) has been benchmarked on ohmic and EC assisted experiments on FTU and AUG, finding the key aspects for a good reproduction of data. On the basis of this, the simulation has been devoted to understand the best configuration for ITER case. The dependency of impurity distribution content and neutral gas pressure limits has been considered. As results of the analysis a reasonable amount of power (1 - 2 MW) seems to be enough to extend in a significant way the breakdown and current start up capability of ITER. The work reports the FTU data reproduction and the ITER case simulations.

The reliability of DIVA test based on M2e peptide exceed those based on HA2 or NS1 peptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simson Tarigan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available One of the most important disadvantage of vaccination against avian influenza is that it cannot protect vaccinated birds against infection. When vaccinated poultry are heavily exposed to the virus, prolonged, unrecognised, subclinical infection may persist on the farm. The condition can only be serologically monitored by a DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals test, whereas conventional diagnostic tests cannot be used. The DIVA tests based on an antibody response following virus replication is the most appropriate approach. For H5N1 influenza such antibodies includes those to the M2e and NS1 proteins and an epitope on the HA2 subunit (HA_488-516. The purpose of this study was to compare the magnitude of the antibody response in chickens vaccinated and infected with an H5N1 virus strain. For that purpose, sera collected from naïve, vaccinated and infected birds, at 1, 2-3, ≥4 weeks post challenge were used. Antibodies were measured by ELISA using biotinylated synthetic peptides as coating antigens. The peptides used include four NS1 peptides corresponding to different regions of the NS1 protein and HA_488-516and M2e peptides. Peptides were coated onto microtitre plates either directly or via a streptavidin bridge. The results showed that vaccination did not cause antibody conversion to any of the peptides, where as challenged birds developed a high antibody response to M2e but, low response to the NS1 and HA2 peptides. Antibodies to the later peptides were detected only by the streptavidin-peptide ELISA. The ELISA based on NS1 or HA_488-516 peptides, therefore, are not reliable for use as DIVA test in H5N1 avian influenza virus infection

Biomaterials recycling: bioglasses obtained from reuse of hydroxyapatite (HA) bovine bone with term exceeded validity; Reciclagem de biomateriais: biovidros obtidos a partir do reaproveitamento de hidroxiapatita (HA) ossea bovina com prazo de validade excedido

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, A.C.; Santos, S.C.; Braga, F.J.C., E-mail: dasilva.ac@uol.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Aparecida, A.H. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Araraquara, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica

2012-07-01

The hydroxyapatite (HA) is a reference bioceramic for bone replacement and regeneration medical practice, becoming one of the most produced and researched bone graft material. Since it is a material for biomedical application, the manufacture and storage of this bioceramic must comply with severe conservation criteria, and its validity date is the lawful major factor for disposal. Materials with the exceeded expiration date are usually discarded and incinerated, resulting in ash, environmental contamination and energy expenditure. This study evaluates the possibility of reuse of bovine HA collected after its validity date as raw material to obtain bioglass, aiming to natural resources saving and environmental emissions mitigation. 45S5 similar compositions were obtained by melting the materials at 1500 ° C, followed by rapid cooling and annealing thermal treatment (500 ° C for 2h), analytical grade chemical reagents were used to set the final composition. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and hydrolysis resistance techniques. The results of comparative chemical resistance (Hydrolytic) tests indicate the potential use of the materials developed for bone replacement applications. (author)

Kontsert põhiseaduse auks. Riccardo ja Pupo varsti Eestis. Laulud Püha Katarina kirikule. Saadikud Itaaliast

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2007-01-01

Vabaõhukontserdist Eesti Vabariigi põhiseaduse 15. aastapäeva tähistamise auks 7. sept. Tartus Toomemäe pargis. Itaalia estraadilauljate Riccardo Fogli ja Pupo kontserdist 20. sept. Tallinna Linnahallis. Heategevuskontserdist 13. sept. Tallinnas Püha Katariina kirikus. Sümfooniaorkestri Europa Galante kontserdist 13. sept. Estonia kontserdisaalis

Large-scale FMO-MP3 calculations on the surface proteins of influenza virus, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA)

Science.gov (United States)

Mochizuki, Yuji; Yamashita, Katsumi; Fukuzawa, Kaori; Takematsu, Kazutomo; Watanabe, Hirofumi; Taguchi, Naoki; Okiyama, Yoshio; Tsuboi, Misako; Nakano, Tatsuya; Tanaka, Shigenori

2010-06-01

Two proteins on the influenza virus surface have been well known. One is hemagglutinin (HA) associated with the infection to cells. The fragment molecular orbital (FMO) calculations were performed on a complex consisting of HA trimer and two Fab-fragments at the third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation (MP3) level. The numbers of residues and 6-31G basis functions were 2351 and 201276, and thus a massively parallel-vector computer was utilized to accelerate the processing. This FMO-MP3 job was completed in 5.8 h with 1024 processors. Another protein is neuraminidase (NA) involved in the escape from infected cells. The FMO-MP3 calculation was also applied to analyze the interactions between oseltamivir and surrounding residues in pharmacophore.

The evaluation of hydroxyapatite (HA) coated and uncoated porous tantalum for biomedical material applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safuan, Nadia; Sukmana, Irza; Kadir, Mohammed Rafiq Abdul; Noviana, Deni

2014-01-01

Porous tantalum has been used as an orthopedic implant for bone defects as it has a good corrosion resistance and fatigue behaviour properties. However, there are some reports on the rejection of porous Ta after the implantation. Those clinical cases refer to the less bioactivity of metallic-based materials. This study aims to evaluate hydroxyapatite coated and uncoated porous Tantalum in order to improve the biocompatibility of porous tantalum implant and osseointegration. Porous tantalum was used as metallic-base substrate and hydroxyapatite coating has been done using plasma-spraying technique. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) techniques were utilizes to investigate the coating characteristics while Confocal Raman Microscopy to investigate the interface and image. The effect of coating to the corrosion behaviour was assessed by employing potentiodynamic polarization tests in simulated body fluid at 37±1 °C. Based on SEM and FESEM results, the morphologies as well the weight element consists in the uncoated and hydroxyapatite coated porous tantalum were revealed. The results indicated that the decrease in corrosion current density for HA coated porous Ta compared to the uncoated porous Ta. This study concluded that by coating porous tantalum with HA supports to decrease the corrosion rate of pure porous.

The Evaluation of Hydroxyapatite (HA) Coated and Uncoated Porous Tantalum for Biomedical Material Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Safuan, Nadia; Sukmana, Irza; Kadir, Mohammed Rafiq Abdul; Noviana, Deni

2014-04-01

Porous tantalum has been used as an orthopedic implant for bone defects as it has a good corrosion resistance and fatigue behaviour properties. However, there are some reports on the rejection of porous Ta after the implantation. Those clinical cases refer to the less bioactivity of metallic-based materials. This study aims to evaluate hydroxyapatite coated and uncoated porous Tantalum in order to improve the biocompatibility of porous tantalum implant and osseointegration. Porous tantalum was used as metallic-base substrate and hydroxyapatite coating has been done using plasma-spraying technique. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) techniques were utilizes to investigate the coating characteristics while Confocal Raman Microscopy to investigate the interface and image. The effect of coating to the corrosion behaviour was assessed by employing potentiodynamic polarization tests in simulated body fluid at 37±1 °C. Based on SEM and FESEM results, the morphologies as well the weight element consists in the uncoated and hydroxyapatite coated porous tantalum were revealed. The results indicated that the decrease in corrosion current density for HA coated porous Ta compared to the uncoated porous Ta. This study concluded that by coating porous tantalum with HA supports to decrease the corrosion rate of pure porous.

Point mutation in activated c-Ha-ras gene of a chemically induced transplantable human pancreas carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maheshwari, K.K.; Parsa, I.

1986-01-01

The authors have reported a model of human pancreas carcinogenesis where repeated treatment with MNU of explants results in the development of transplantable carcinoma. This report compares the endonuclease digests of DNAs from normal human pancreas (HP) and MNU-induced transplantable tumor (HP-T1) analyzed with 32 P-labelled Ha-ras probe prepared from clone BS-9. The hybridization patterns of BamHI, BglII, EcoRI and HindIII digests of HP were significantly different from those of HP-T1. In EcoRI digests a 3.0 kb fragments of HP-T1 DNA hybridized with Ha-ras probe instead of a 4.3 kb fragments seen in HP DNA. The pattern for HindIII digests was similar to those of EcoRI. The BgIII digests of HP DNA revealed two hybridizing fragments of 8.0 and 4.3 kb whereas those of HP-T1 DNA fragments measured 8.5 and 4.0 kb. BamHI treated HP DNA showed only hybridizing fragments of 6.6 kb while the HP-T1 DNA showed to hybridizing fragments of 6.8 and 7.2 kb. The digested DNAs by HhaI, HinfI, KpnI, pstI, PvuII, SaII, SstI, TaqI and XbaI showed similar hybridization profiles. The point mutation in c-Ha-ras was examined in the HpaII and MspI double digests of both DNAs by 0.6 Kb SmaI fragments of pEJ. The hybridized fragments measured 412 and 355 bp in DNA digests from tumor and normal pancreas respectively

Evidence of diketopiperazine and oxazolone structures for HA b2+ ion.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Brittany R; Chamot-Rooke, Julia; Yoon, Sung Hwan; Gucinski, Ashley C; Somogyi, Arpád; Wysocki, Vicki H

2009-12-09

Peptide fragmentation can lead to an oxazolone or diketopiperazine b(2)(+) ion structure. IRMPD spectroscopy combined with computational modeling and gas-phase H/D exchange was used to study the structure of the b(2)(+) ion from protonated HAAAA. The experimental spectrum of the b(2)(+) ion matches both the experimental spectrum for the protonated cyclic dipeptide HA (a commercial diketopiperazine) and the theoretical spectrum for a diketopiperazine protonated at the imidazole pi nitrogen. A characteristic band at 1875 cm(-1) and increased abundance of the peaks at 1619 and 1683 cm(-1) indicate a second population corresponding to an oxazolone species. H/D exchange also shows a mixture of two populations consistent with a mixture of b(2)(+) ion diketopiperazine and oxazolone structures.

Pepsin-solubilised collagen (PSC) from Red Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) regulates cell cycle and the fibronectin synthesis in HaCaT cell migration.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soo-Yeong; Lim, Hee Kyoung; Lee, Seogjae; Hwang, Hyeong Cheol; Cho, Somi K; Cho, Moonjae

2012-05-01

Pepsin-solubilised collagen (PSC) from Red Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) was studied with respect to its wound-healing effects on a human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell line. Disaggregated collagen fibres were treated with 0.1M NaOH for 24h and digested with pepsin for 72h to reach maximum yield of 26.6%. The results of an in vitro wound-healing test showed that migration of HaCaT cells was 1.5-fold faster on PSC-coated plates than on untreated plates. The migration rate of sea cucumber PSC was similar to that of rat PSC, but five times higher than that of bovine gelatin. HaCaT cells grown on PSC-coated plates revealed increased fibronectin synthesis (6-fold and 3-fold compared to gelatin and rat PSC, respectively). Additionally, sea cucumber PSCs induced HaCaT cell proliferation by decreasing the G1 phase by 5% and maintaining a larger population (8%) of cells in mitosis. Collagen from Red Sea cucumber might be useful as an alternative to mammalian collagen in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomaterials recycling: bioglasses obtained from reuse of hydroxyapatite (HA) bovine bone with term exceeded validity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, A.C.; Santos, S.C.; Braga, F.J.C.; Aparecida, A.H.

2012-01-01

The hydroxyapatite (HA) is a reference bioceramic for bone replacement and regeneration medical practice, becoming one of the most produced and researched bone graft material. Since it is a material for biomedical application, the manufacture and storage of this bioceramic must comply with severe conservation criteria, and its validity date is the lawful major factor for disposal. Materials with the exceeded expiration date are usually discarded and incinerated, resulting in ash, environmental contamination and energy expenditure. This study evaluates the possibility of reuse of bovine HA collected after its validity date as raw material to obtain bioglass, aiming to natural resources saving and environmental emissions mitigation. 45S5 similar compositions were obtained by melting the materials at 1500 ° C, followed by rapid cooling and annealing thermal treatment (500 ° C for 2h), analytical grade chemical reagents were used to set the final composition. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and hydrolysis resistance techniques. The results of comparative chemical resistance (Hydrolytic) tests indicate the potential use of the materials developed for bone replacement applications. (author)

Nanodiamond enhances immune responses in mice against recombinant HA/H7N9 protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Ngoc Bich; Ho, Thuong Thi; Nguyen, Giang Thu; Le, Thuy Thi; Le, Ngoc Thu; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Pham, Minh Dinh; Conrad, Udo; Chu, Ha Hoang

2017-10-05

The continuing spread of the newly emerged H7N9 virus among poultry in China, as well as the possibility of human-to-human transmission, has attracted numerous efforts to develop an effective vaccine against H7N9. The use of nanoparticles in vaccinology is inspired by the fact that most pathogens have a dimension within the nano-size range and therefore can be processed efficiently by the immune system, which leads to a potent immune response. Herein, we report a facile approach to increase antigen size to achieve not only fast but also effective responses against the recombinant HA/H7N9 protein via a simple conjugation of the protein onto the surface of nanodiamond particles. In this study, trimeric Haemagglutinin (H7) that is transiently expressed in N. benthamiana was purified using affinity chromatography, and its trimeric state was revealed successfully by the cross-linking reaction. The trimeric H7 solution was subsequently mixed with a nanodiamond suspension in different ratios. The successful conjugation of the trimeric H7 onto the surface of nanodiamond particles was demonstrated by the changes in size and Zeta-potential of the particles before and after protein coating, Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and Western-blot analysis. Next, biofunction of the protein-nanodiamond conjugates was screened using a haemagglutination assay. A mixture containing 5 µg of trimeric H7 and 60 µg of nanodiamond corresponds to a ratio of 1:12 (w/w) of agglutinated chicken red blood cells at HA titer of 1024, which is 512-fold higher than the HA titer of free trimeric H7. After the 2nd and 3rd immunization in mice, ELISA and Western blot analyses demonstrated that the physical mixture of trimeric H7 protein and nanodiamond (1:12, w/w) elicited statistically significant stronger H7-specific-IgG response demonstrated by higher amounts of H7N9-specific IgG (over 15.4-fold with P < 0.05 after the second immunization). These results

ANÁLISIS SISTÉMICO DE LA TUTORÍA VIRTUAL A PARTIR DEL AUGE DEL E-LEARNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Mazurkiewicz

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Este estudio tiene como objetivo de investigación establecer en qué medida la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales, concebida como un sistema ontológico material, se corresponde con el modelo ontológico sistémico material CAEMS. La metodología del estudio es integrativa, pues incorpora diversas herramientas metodológicas, pero el enfoque del análisis es sistémico y se fundamenta en el modelo CAEMS de Herrera (2007 quien a su vez se basa en el modelo sistémico materialista CESM de Mario Bunge. En cuanto al tipo de investigación, es analítica con un diseño documental, también el diseño es transeccional contemporáneo porque los datos corresponden al periodo del auge del e-learning y es univentual dado que solo se estudia la tutoría virtual; se utilizó como instrumentos de recolección de datos, matrices de análisis. Los resultados derivaron como conclusión, que la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales se corresponde con un sistema material de cuatro componentes complejos y con propiedades emergentes, denominados composición, estructura, mecanismos y superestructura, tal que al carecer del ambiente supuesto en la investigación, dicho sistema se corresponde parcialmente con el modelo sistémico ontológico material CAEMS. El estudio cierra recomendado la aplicación de este modelo en investigaciones cuyo objeto o evento de estudio sea un sistema material; también se recomienda continuar el ciclo de la investigación para alcanzar otros estadios más avanzados de la misma y para identificar el ambiente de la acción tutorial en espacios virtuales.

Differential effects of miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p on SiHa cells proliferation apoptosis, migration and invasion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez, Jesus Adrian [Laboratorio de Terapia Genica, Departamento de Genetica y Biologia Molecular, CINVESTAV, Av. IPN 2508, Mexico 07360 D.F. (Mexico); Alvarez-Salas, Luis Marat, E-mail: lalvarez@cinvestav.mx [Laboratorio de Terapia Genica, Departamento de Genetica y Biologia Molecular, CINVESTAV, Av. IPN 2508, Mexico 07360 D.F. (Mexico)

2011-06-10

Highlights: {yields} In this study we examine miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p functions in SiHa cells. {yields} We study miRNA effect on cell proliferation, anchorage independent growth, apoptosis, cell motility and invasion. {yields} We find that miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p inhibition of proliferation and anchorage independent growth are exclusive to SiHa cells. {yields} miR-34c-3p induces apoptosis and inhibits cell motility and invasion in SiHa cells. {yields} In this study we conclude that miR-34c-3p functions as a tumor suppressor differ from miR-34c-5p. -- Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNA) regulate expression of several genes associated with human cancer. Here, we analyzed the function of miR-34c, an effector of p53, in cervical carcinoma cells. Expression of either miR-34c-3p or miR-34c-5p mimics caused inhibition of cell proliferation in the HPV-containing SiHa cells but not in other cervical cells irrespective of tumorigenicity and HPV content. These results suggest that SiHa cells may lack of regulatory mechanisms for miR-34c. Monolayer proliferation results showed that miR-34c-3p produced a more pronounced inhibitory effect although both miRNAs caused inhibition of anchorage independent growth at similar extent. However, ectopic expression of pre-miR-34c-3p, but not pre-miR-34c-5p, caused S-phase arrest in SiHa cells triggering a strong dose-dependent apoptosis. A significant inhibition was observed only for miR-34c-3p on SiHa cells migration and invasion, therefore implying alternative regulatory pathways and targets. These results suggest differential tumor suppressor roles for miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p and provide new insights in the understanding of miRNA biology.

Differential effects of miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p on SiHa cells proliferation apoptosis, migration and invasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Jesus Adrian; Alvarez-Salas, Luis Marat

2011-01-01

Highlights: → In this study we examine miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p functions in SiHa cells. → We study miRNA effect on cell proliferation, anchorage independent growth, apoptosis, cell motility and invasion. → We find that miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p inhibition of proliferation and anchorage independent growth are exclusive to SiHa cells. → miR-34c-3p induces apoptosis and inhibits cell motility and invasion in SiHa cells. → In this study we conclude that miR-34c-3p functions as a tumor suppressor differ from miR-34c-5p. -- Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNA) regulate expression of several genes associated with human cancer. Here, we analyzed the function of miR-34c, an effector of p53, in cervical carcinoma cells. Expression of either miR-34c-3p or miR-34c-5p mimics caused inhibition of cell proliferation in the HPV-containing SiHa cells but not in other cervical cells irrespective of tumorigenicity and HPV content. These results suggest that SiHa cells may lack of regulatory mechanisms for miR-34c. Monolayer proliferation results showed that miR-34c-3p produced a more pronounced inhibitory effect although both miRNAs caused inhibition of anchorage independent growth at similar extent. However, ectopic expression of pre-miR-34c-3p, but not pre-miR-34c-5p, caused S-phase arrest in SiHa cells triggering a strong dose-dependent apoptosis. A significant inhibition was observed only for miR-34c-3p on SiHa cells migration and invasion, therefore implying alternative regulatory pathways and targets. These results suggest differential tumor suppressor roles for miR-34c-3p and miR-34c-5p and provide new insights in the understanding of miRNA biology.

Evaluación de los cambios en algunas propiedades físicas y químicas de un ultisolpor efecto del Bacillus subtilis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gladys Elena Acosta Olaya

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Título en inglés: Evaluation of the changes in the some physical and chemical properties of an ultisol for effect of the Bacillus subtilis Resumen El interés en estudios de biorremediación de suelos deteriorados por sobreexplotación y uso indiscriminado de agroquímicos se debe a que alteran la microflora, el sistema de autorregulación y la sustentabilidad en el largo plazo. Un Ultisol, suelo de baja fertilidad química y sometido a reducción de tamaño de agregados (

Evaluación de los cambios en algunas propiedades físicas y químicas de un ultisolpor efecto del bacillus subtilis

OpenAIRE

Acosta Olaya, Gladys Elena; Ramírez Pisco, Ramiro

2010-01-01

Título en inglés: Evaluation of the changes in the some physical and chemical properties of an ultisol for effect of the Bacillus subtilis Resumen El interés en estudios de biorremediación de suelos deteriorados por sobreexplotación y uso indiscriminado de agroquímicos se debe a que alteran la microflora, el sistema de autorregulación y la sustentabilidad en el largo plazo. Un Ultisol, suelo de baja fertilidad química y sometido a reducción de tamaño de agregados (

Asuntos de la dirección y gerencia en las juntas directivas

OpenAIRE

Corredor García, Héctor Manuel

2009-01-01

Las juntas directivas han tenido dificultades que han deteriorado su efectividad. A pesar de buscar el mejoramiento del desempeño de estas a través de regulaciones y de enfoques netamente financieros, el problema persiste. Este artículo busca determinar que un cambio en el grado de atención, en los temas y asuntos de dirección y gerencia que tratan las juntas directivas, puede contribuir a una mayor efectividad de estas. La metodología utilizada para este análisis se basa en una encuesta diri...

Evaluación del comportamiento de materiales empleados en la reintegración de materiales cerámicos de la Plaza de España (Sevilla)

OpenAIRE

Alejandre Sánchez, F. J.; Villegas Sánchez, R.; Jurado Pérez, M.

2005-01-01

En el presente trabajo se estudia el comportamiento y la durabilidad de diferentes morteros y estucos comerciales que se han utilizado para restituir enfrío las pérdidas de vidriado en azulejos deteriorados de la Plaza de España (Sevilla). Para ello se han preparado 5 tipos de muestras que se han aplicado sobre bizcochos cerámicos y que posteriormente se han coloreado y protegido con resinas. Las muestras se han sometido a ensayos de alteración acelerada: cristalización de sales, ciclos de te...

La crisis económica y el "gran salto al vacío" de la dolarización

OpenAIRE

Salgado, Wilma

2000-01-01

Las políticas aplicadas que trataron de impedir la quiebra de los bancos, esto es, las políticas de salvataje bancario, constituyen el principal elemento explicativo de la profundización de la crisis en el Ecuador al haber alimentado la fuga de los capitales -dada la libre circulación internacional de capitales vigente- y en consecuencia, haber alimentado la devaluación monetaria, la inflación, profundizado la recesión económica y deteriorado la situación financiera de las familias ecuatoria...

Construction and heterologous expression of a truncated Haemagglutinin (HA) protein from the avian influenza virus H5N1 in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Chee Wei, T; Nurul Wahida, A G; Shaharum, S

2014-12-01

Malaysia first reported H5N1 poultry case in 2004 and subsequently outbreak in poultry population in 2007. Here, a recombinant gene encoding of peptide epitopes, consisting fragments of HA1, HA2 and a polybasic cleavage site of H5N1 strain Malaysia, was amplified and cloned into pET-47b(+) bacterial expression vector. DNA sequencing and alignment analysis confirmed that the gene had no alteration and in-frame to the vector. Then, His-tagged truncated HA protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) under 1 mM IPTG induction. The protein expression was optimized under a time-course induction study and further purified using Ni-NTA agarose under reducing condition. Migration size of protein was detected at 15 kDa by Western blot using anti-His tag monoclonal antibody and demonstrated no discrepancy compared to its calculated molecular weight.

Oral vaccine of Lactococcus lactis harbouring pandemic H1N1 2009 haemagglutinin1 and nisP anchor fusion protein elevates anti-HA1 sIgA levels in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Joan, Stella Siaw Xiu; Pui-Fong, Jee; Song, Adelene Ai-Lian; Chang, Li-Yen; Yusoff, Khatijah; AbuBakar, Sazaly; Rahim, Raha Abdul

2016-05-01

An oral lactococcal-based vaccine which haboured the haemagglutinin1 (HA1) antigen fused to nisP anchor protein for the purpose of surface displaying the HA1 antigen was developed against H1N1 virus. Recombinant L. lactis strains expressed HA1-nisP fusion proteins when induced with nisin, as confirmed through western blotting. However, immunofluorescense did not detect any surface-displayed proteins, suggesting that the protein was either unsuccessfully translocated or improperly displayed. Despite this, oral administration of recombinant L. lactis strains to BALB/c mice revealed that significant levels of anti-HA1 sIgA antibodies were detected in mice fecal suspension samples of mice group NZ9000 (pNZ:HN) when compared to the negative control NZ9000 (pNZ8048) group. Specific anti-HA1 sIgA antibodies were locally produced and live recombinant lactococcal vaccine was able to elicit humoral response of BALB/c mice despite unsuccessful surface display of the HA1 epitope.

Adenovirus or HA-2 fusogenic peptide-assisted lipofection increases cytoplasmic levels of plasmid in nondividing endothelium with little enhancement of transgene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Ajit; Ma, Haiching; Dahl, Kris N; Zhu, Jingya; Diamond, Scott L

2002-01-01

Adenovirus-assisted lipofection has been reported to increase transfection efficiency through mechanisms potentially involving endosome escape and/or nuclear targeting activity. Similarly, transfection with the viral fusogenic peptide HA-2 of the influenza virus hemagglutinin can increase transfection efficiency. However, there are few studies examining the mechanism and intracellular trafficking of these viral and/or viral fusogenic peptide-assisted lipofections. Endosome escape was directly assayed with T7 RNA polymerase bound to plasmid (pTM beta gal) expressing beta-galactosidase under a T7 promoter to detect transcribable plasmid that escapes the endosomal compartment. Lipofection of pTM beta gal with replication-deficient adenovirus (Ad5-null) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100 and 1000 increased cytoplasmic levels of transcribable plasmid by 24- and 117-fold, respectively, over lipofection alone, without an effect on total plasmid uptake. However, lipofection of pCMV beta gal with Ad5-null at a MOI of 100 and 1000 increased transgene expression only seven- and eight-fold, respectively, over lipofection alone. Thus, a 24-fold increase in endosome escape saturated expression from pCMV beta gal and provided only a seven-fold benefit in nondividing cells, which was not significantly increased with further increases in endosome escape. A cationic form of HA-2 (HA-K(4)) also caused significant enhancements in endosome escape, as detected with the cytoplasmic transcription assay. However, HA-K(4) enhancement of endosome escape did not correlate with transgene expression from pCMV beta gal, consistent with the detection of HA-K(4)-mediated partitioning of plasmid to the insoluble fraction of the cell lysate. These results indicate that enhancement of endosome escape in nondividing cells does not fully alleviate rate limits related to nuclear import of the plasmid. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biochemical changes on the repair of surgical bone defects grafted with biphasic synthetic micro-granular HA + β-tricalcium phosphate induced by laser and LED phototherapies assessed by Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Pinheiro, Antonio Luiz B.; Soares, Luiz Guilherme P.; Marques, Aparecida Maria C.; Silveira, Landulfo

2016-03-01

This work aimed the assessment of the biochemical changes during bone mineralization induced by laser and LED irradiation in an animal model of bone repair using a spectral model based on Raman spectroscopy. Six groups were studied: Clot, Laser (λ780 nm, 70 mW), LED (λ850 nm +/- 10 nm, 150 mW), Biomaterial (biphasic synthetic microgranular hydroxyapatite (HA) + β-tricalcium phosphate), Laser + Biomaterial and LED + Biomaterial. When indicated, defects were further irradiated at 48 h interval during 2 wks, 20 J/cm2 per session. At 15th and 30th days, femurs were dissected and spectra of the defects were collected. Raman spectra were submitted to a model to estimate the relative amount of collagen, phosphate HA and carbonate HA, by using spectra of pure collagen, biomaterial and basal bone, respectively. At 15th days, the use of biomaterial associated to phototherapy reduced the collagen formation, whereas the amount of carbonate HA was not different in all groups. The phosphate HA was higher in the groups that received biomaterial grafts. At 30th days, it was observed an increase of collagen for the group Laser + Biomaterial, and a reduction in the carbonate HA for the LED + Biomaterial. The phosphate HA was higher for the groups LED + Biomaterial and Laser + Biomaterial, while decreased for the group Biomaterial. These results indicated that the use of Laser and LED phototherapies improved the repair of bone defects grafted with the biomaterial by increasing the collagen deposition and phosphate HA.

Cytotoxic Effect of the Genus Sinularia Extracts on Human SCC25 and HaCaT Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, G.H.; Chou, T.H.; Liang, C.H.; Lin, R.J.; Sheu, J.H.; Wang, S.H.

2009-01-01

Soft corals of the genus Sinularia are being increasingly adopted to treat a wide variety of disease processes. However, the mechanism underlying its activity against human oral cancer cells is poorly understood. This study evaluates the cyototoxicity effects of the genus Sinularia extracts (S. grandilobata, S. parva, S. triangula, S. scabra, S. nanolobata and S. gibberosa) by SCC25 and HaCaT cells. The cell adhesion assay indicates that extracts reduce the cell attachment. Extracts exhibit a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect using MTS assay.Treatment of extracts to observe the morphological alterations in cells, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies is demonstrated. Flow cytometry shows that extracts sensitized the cells in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases with a concomitant significantly increased sub-G1 fraction, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. Extracts of the genus Sinularia thus apparently cause apoptosis of SCC25 and HaCaT cells, and warrant further research investigating the possible antioral cancer compounds in these soft corals.

The osteogenic capacity of biomimetic hierarchical micropore/nanorod-patterned Sr-HA coatings with different interrod spacings.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jianhong; Li, Bo; Han, Yong; Zhao, Lingzhou

2016-07-01

Advanced titanium based bone implant with fast established, rigid and stable osseointegration is stringently needed in clinic. Here the hierarchical micropore/nanorod-patterned strontium doped hydroxyapatite (Ca9Sr1(PO4)6(OH)2, Sr1-HA) coatings (MNRs) with different interrod spacings varying from about 300 to 33nm were developed. MNRs showed dramatically differential biological performance closely related to the interrod spacing. Compared to micropore/nanogranule-patterned Sr1-HA coating (MNG), MNRs with an interrod spacing of larger than 137nm resulted in inhibited in vitro mesenchymal stem cell functions and in vivo osseointegration, while those of smaller than 96nm gave rise to dramatically enhanced the biological effect, especially those of mean 67nm displayed the best effect. The differential biological effect of MNRs was related to their modulation on the focal adhesion mediated mechanotransduction. These results suggest that MNRs with a mean interrod spacing of 67nm may give rise to an advanced implant of improved clinical performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONFLICTOS DE INTERESES EN LA ORDENACIÓN DE UN TERRITORIO DE MONTAÑA: EL TURISMO RURAL EN LA TIERRA PINARIEGA SORIANA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús María Bachiller Martínez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available El auge del uso público en los espacios rurales es un componente más de las crecientes relaciones campo-ciudad. Los conflictos se multiplican, no solo en la relación entre desarrollo turístico y conservación, sino también en el trato con los propietarios rústicos, públicos y privados, que tienden a organizarse y plantear sus reivindicaciones en la ordenación y gestión de los territorios implicados. Se expone, como ejemplo, un propietario de excepción, la Mancomunidad de los 150 pueblos de la Tierra de Soria/ayuntamiento de Soria, que ha tenido que hacer frente al cambio de función que ha supuesto el aumento del uso público en sus montes.

periodismo digital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Morales

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Internet llegó para cambiarlo todo. Desde el auge de la red, el periodismo no ha vuelto a ser el mismo. En este artículo se plantea una mirada a los cambios sensibles que ha tenido el oficio como campo de investigación, pero también en las dinámicas propias de la producción de información, las rutinas del periodista, sus ámbitos laborales y legales y en los procesos empresariales que lo circundan. Este abordaje deja claro que el periodismo en la red es una veta no sólo desde el punto de vista informativo, sino una fuente inagotable de reflexiones que cambian y se retroalimentan a la misma velocidad que lo hacen las nuevas tecnologías.

CoralWatch Data Analysis at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, A.; Hodgson, P.

2015-12-01

CoralWatch is a conservation organization that is based at the University of Queensland in Australia. Their development of the "Coral Health Chart" standardized the colour of corals for the further investigation of coral health and bleaching. The location of this project is in the NE part of Hong Kong in New Territories. The location faces ShenZhen, a heavily industrialized city, which is known for its pollution of the Pearl River. This area is protected by the Hong Kong Government and the WWF since 1996.Human activities have caused large amounts of greenhouse gasses to be released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has caused the global temperature to rise and made ocean waters more acidic due to ocean respiration. The ocean is a carbon sink for mankind and the effect of severe acidification is negatively affecting marine life. The increase of temperature diminishes the amount of diversity of marine life; the decreasing acidity of the water has eliminated many species of shellfish and sea anemone; the increase of marine exploitation has decreased the diversity of marine life. The release of toxic waste, mainly mercury, waste and plastic products has also polluted the oceans which negatively impact coral reefs and endanger marine life.The data has been collected by observing the colours and discolouration (bleaching) of the corals of approximately 40 colonies per month. The species of coral in Hoi Ha Wan include, Favites flexuosa, Goniopora columna,Leptastrea purpurea, Lithophyllon undulatum, Pavona decussata. and Platygyra acuta (AFCD,1). The evaluation of four years of coralwatch data has shown the bleaching of hard boulder corals in Hoi Ha Wan, Hong Kong, has halted and the reefs are being to show signs of regeneration. Local marine biologists credited the improved situation of the corals to protected status of the area.

Interleukin-1α Induction in Human Keratinocytes (HaCaT: An In Vitro Model for Chemoprevention in Skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Magcwebeba

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Long-term exposure to UV irradiation and toxic chemicals is associated with chronic inflammation that contributes to skin cancer development with interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α, constitutively produced by keratinocytes, playing a pivotal role in skin inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the modulation of IL-1α production in the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate failed to induce IL-1α in HaCaT cells, and this might be associated with the specific deficiency known to affect downstream signalling of the MEK/ERK pathway in these cells. The calcium ionophore, ionomycin, slightly enhanced the production of intracellular (icIL-1α, but this resulted in a necrotic release at higher concentrations. UV-B exposure significantly increased the production of icIL-1α in a dose-dependent manner with a maximal induction exhibited at 24 h with minimal necrotic and apoptotic effects. Validation of the HaCaT cell model indicated that the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID, ibuprofen, and the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, inhibited icIL-1α production, and this was associated with a slight inhibition of cell viability. The UV-B-induced keratinocyte cell model provides an in vitro system that could, apart from phorbol ester-like compounds, be utilised as a screening assay in identifying skin irritants and/or therapeutic topical agents via the modulation of IL-1α production.

Effects of Wannachawee Recipe with Antipsoriatic Activity on Suppressing Inflammatory Cytokine Production in HaCaT Human Keratinocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingkwan Na Takuathung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated skin disease. The pathogenesis involves T cells activation via the IL-23/Th17 axis. Conventional treatments of psoriasis have adverse events influencing patients’ adherence. Wannachawee Recipe (WCR has been effectively used as Thai folk remedy for psoriasis patients; however, preclinical evidence defining how WCR works is still lacking. This study defined mechanisms for its antiproliferation and anti-inflammatory effects in HaCaT cells. The cytotoxicity and antiproliferation results from SRB and CCK-8 assays showed that WCR inhibited the growth and viability of HaCaT cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The distribution of cell cycle phases determined by flow cytometry showed that WCR did not interrupt cell cycle progression. Interestingly, RT-qPCR revealed that WCR significantly decreased the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, and TNF-α but induced IL-10 expression in TNF-α- and IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells. At the protein level determined by ELISA, WCR significantly reduced the secretion of IL-17A, IL-22, and IL-23. The WCR at low concentrations was proved to possess anti-inflammatory effect without cytotoxicity and it did not interfere with cell cycle of keratinocytes. This is the first study to provide convincing evidence that WCR is a potential candidate for development of effective psoriasis therapies.

Growth of chronic myeloid leukemia cells is inhibited by infection with Ad-SH2-HA adenovirus that disrupts Grb2-Bcr-Abl complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Zhi; Luo, Hong-Wei; Yuan, Ying; Shi, Jing; Huang, Shi-Feng; Li, Chun-Li; Cao, Wei-Xi; Huang, Zong-Gan; Feng, Wen-Li

2011-05-01

The persistence of Bcr-Abl-positive cells in patients on imatinib therapy indicates that inhibition of the Bcr-Abl kinase activity alone might not be sufficient to eradicate the leukemia cells. Many downstream effectors of Bcr-Abl have been described, including activation of both the Grb2-SoS-Ras-MAPK and Grb2-Gab2-PI3K-Akt pathways. The Bcr-Abl-Grb2 interaction, which is mediated by the direct interaction of the Grb2 SH2 domain with the phospho-Bcr-Abl Y177, is required for activation of these signaling pathways. Therefore, disrupting their interaction represents a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting the oncogenic downstream signals of Bcr-Abl. Adenovirus Ad-SH2-HA expressing the Grb2 SH2 domain was constructed and applied in this study. As expected, Ad-SH2-HA efficiently infected CML cells and functioned by binding to the phospho-Bcr-Abl Y177 site, competitively disrupting the Grb2 SH2-phospho-Bcr-Abl Y177 complex. They induced potent anti-proliferation and apoptosis-inducing effects in CML cell lines. Moreover, the Ras, MAPK and Akt activities were significantly reduced in the Ad-SH2-HA treated cells. These were not observed with the point-mutated control adenovirus Ad-Sm-HA with abolished phospho-Bcr-Abl Y177 binding sites. These data indicate that, in addition to the direct targeting of Bcr-Abl, selective inhibition of its downstream signaling pathways may be a therapeutic option for CML, and the Ad-SH2-HA-mediated killing strategy could be explored as a promising anti-leukemia agent in CML.

Radiolysis of n-dodecane and its physical property change based on the dose in one pass through a reference high active (HA) column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Hidematsu; Suzuki, Atsuyuki

1998-01-01

The radiolysis of n-dodecane which is used both as diluent and as scrub solution and its physical property change were studied by irradiation from a 60 Co γ-source under the relative condition of the HA column in Purex process. First, the radiation exposure of organic phase in one pass through the HA columns were calculated by using the reference HA columns. Then, the radiolysis of the commercial n-dodecane without purification was investigated under the several dose conditions based on the absorption in one pass through the reference HA columns. A large variety of additional n-alkane degradation products was observed and they were increased with dose. The G-value in lower exposure was a high yield, and the absolute G-value decreased with increasing radiation exposure to 1.01 W·h/l. Several expected inferable species from previous literature and three schemes for both principal radiolysis products and reaction of n-dodecane were suggested. These chemical products were probably formed in open system with gamma rays. The physical property change was also performed, and the effect of decomposition products on its change was small but not ignored. The annular with nozzle plates column diminished the absorbed dose in comparison with the other combination columns. (author)

Del modelo extractivista a las dinámicas de desarrollo local en contextos de conflicto: distrito minero litoral pacífico (2008-2012)

OpenAIRE

Pardo Durán, Joan Sebastián

2016-01-01

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo principal, analizar las dinámicas de desarrollo local del distrito minero Litoral Pacífico durante el periodo 2008-2012 a partir del modelo extractivista, con el fin de demostrar que, a pesar del auge minero durante estos gobiernos, el crecimiento de la actividad y la entrada de capital a estos municipios, el desarrollo local es escaso ante las dinámicas del conflicto armado interno y el abandono estatal que ha existido por excelencia en esta zona...

Aplicación para la compra segura a través de Internet

OpenAIRE

Olmo Camacho, Jesús del

2005-01-01

El comercio electrónico ha experimentado un gran auge en estos últimos años gracias, en gran medida, al desarrollo de Internet. La Web ofrece al comercio electrónico interesantes posibilidades tanto desde el punto de vista de proveedores como de consumidores. Los compradores o consumidores acceden a una gran variedad de ofertas de una forma cómoda (desde cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento), pueden comparar características y precios de distintos productos y además pueden com...

Enfoques para el estudio de la adquisición de una L2 como lengua de acogida. Su evolución hacia un modelo descriptivo de corte pragmático

OpenAIRE

El-Madkouri Maataoui, Mohamed; Soto Aranda, Beatriz

2005-01-01

Junto al desarrollo de las lenguas para fines específicos LFE (Fortanet y otros 1997; Lerat, 1997, Soto Aranda 2003a), una de las disciplinas que mayor auge ha tenido en el ámbito de los Estudios de Adquisición de Segundas Lenguas (en adelante ASL) en los últimos años es la adquisición de lenguas segundas como lenguas de acogida (Guus y Mittner, 1984; Norton, 2000; Perdue, 1993). Ahora bien, ¿qué entendemos por lengua de acogida?

Las actividades físico-deportivas en el medio natural y sus efectos sobre la salud y la calidad de vida : factores psicológicos asociados

OpenAIRE

Palmi i Guerrero, Joan; Martín, A.

1997-01-01

Este trabajo presenta una análisis de los factores psicológicos asociados a un tipo concreto de actividad físico-deportiva que en los últimos años ha sufrido un importante auge: Las actividades físicodeportivas desarrolladas en un entorno natural. Tomando inicialmente, como punto de partida algunos planteaminetos teóricos desarrollados al respecto en la literatura especializada (Martin y Priest, 1986), efectuamos un estudio teórico-conceptual en referencia a las implicaciones de la práctica d...

Citric acid induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of human immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Tsung-Ho; Chen, Chia-Wei; Hsiao, Yu-Ping; Hung, Sung-Jen; Chung, Jing-Gung; Yang, Jen-Hung

2013-10-01

Citric acid is an alpha-hydroxyacid (AHA) widely used in cosmetic dermatology and skincare products. However, there is concern regarding its safety for the skin. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of citric acid on the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. HaCaT cells were treated with citric acid at 2.5-12.5 mM for different time periods. Cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis were investigated by 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining, flow cytometry, western blot and confocal microscopy. Citric acid not only inhibited proliferation of HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner, but also induced apoptosis and cell cycle-arrest at the G2/M phase (before 24 h) and S phase (after 24 h). Citric acid increased the level of Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and reduced the levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL) and activated caspase-9 and caspase-3, which subsequently induced apoptosis via caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. Citric acid also activated death receptors and increased the levels of caspase-8, activated BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (BID) protein, Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and Endonuclease G (EndoG). Therefore, citric acid induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. The study results suggest that citric acid is cytotoxic to HaCaT cells via induction of apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in vitro.

Evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective effects of a trivalent chimeric norovirus P particle immunogen displaying influenza HA2 from subtypes H1, H3 and B

OpenAIRE

Gong, Xin; Yin, He; Shi, Yuhua; He, Xiaoqiu; Yu, Yongjiao; Guan, Shanshan; Kuai, Ziyu; Haji, Nasteha M; Haji, Nafisa M; Kong, Wei; Shan, Yaming

2016-01-01

The ectodomain of the influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (HA) stem is highly conserved across strains and has shown promise as a universal influenza vaccine in a mouse model. In this study, potential B-cell epitopes were found through sequence alignment and epitope prediction in a stem fragment, HA2:90-105, which is highly conserved among virus subtypes H1, H3 and B. A norovirus (NoV) P particle platform was used to express the HA2:90-105 sequences from subtypes H1, H3 and B in loops 1, 2 ...

¿Todo tiempo pasado fue mejor? Cómo ha incidido la tecnología enzimática en el bienestar de la humanidad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Amparo Ospina S.

2011-01-01

La tecnología enzimática tiene su origen en los comienzos de la humanidad, cuando el hombre elaboraba queso utilizando cuajo (el cual contiene la enzima renina, sin entender qué sucedía en este proceso, pero aprovechando igualmente esta molécula tan interesante, cuya aplicación ha traspasado generaciones, incrementándose sus posibilidades de uso a medida que ha aumentado el conocimiento en las áreas biotecnológicas.

"Tan lejos, tan cerca..." Auge y decadencia en la frontera carbonífera. El caso de Curanilahue y Lebu, 1880-1930.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Delgado Valdivia

2012-08-01

Full Text Available El siguiente trabajo versa sobre el dispar desarrollo que registraron dos importantes campamentos mineros de la zona del Golfo de Arauco durante un período en el cual la industria del carbón experimenta un gran auge gatillado por el crecimiento del mercado interno en nuestro país, el trazado de nuevas rutas de transporte a nivel internacional y, hacia fines de este período, el estallido de la Primera Guerra Mundial. Bajo estas condiciones, mientras Curanilahue nace como un centro minero de primer orden a nivel nacional con un fuerte impacto económico en la zona producto de la construcción de ferrocarril que une a esta ciudad con Concepción, Lebu, uno de los primeros y más tradicionales asentamientos carboníferos del país, se ve fuertemente afectado por el período de recesión económica de la década de 1870, el cual no logra superaren los años posteriores, exhibiendo evidentes signos de declinación y decadencia que relegan a este puerto a un lugar muy secundario respecto al resto de los centros mineros esparcidos por la cuenca carbonífera de Arauco.

[Construction of a recombinant HVT virus expressing the HA gene of avian influenza virus H5N1 via Rde/ET recombination system].

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Desong; Shi, Xingming; Wang, Yunfeng; Liu, Changjun; Wang, Mei; Cui, Hongyu; Tian, Guobin; Li, Jisong; Tong, Guangzhi

2009-01-01

In recent years,manipulation of large herpesvirus genomes has been facilitated by using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors. We have previously reported the construction of the BAC clones (HVT BACs) of herpesvirus of turkey (HVT). With these BAC clones in hand,we manipulated the genome of HVT by utilizing Red/ET recombination system, and developed a biologically safe live vaccine based on the HVT BACs. In this two-step approach, we first transformed the plasmid pRedET into the DH10B competent cells that carried the HVT BACs,and added inducer L-arabinose into the cells. We prepared the cells into competent cells and electroporated the linear rpsL-neo counter-selection/selection cassette flanked by the 50 bp long homology arms into the cells. So the functional cassette was inserted into the U(S)2 locus. Only colonies carrying the modified BAC would survive Kanamycin selection on the agar plates. The successful integration of the rpsL-neo cassette was monitored by PCR and Streptomycin selection, for the insertion of rpsL-neo cassette cells will become Streptomycin sensitive. Secondly, in the same way, we replaced the rpsL-neo cassette with the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of (HPAIV) A/Goose/ Guangdong/1/96(H5N1) flanked by the same homology arms. Only colonies which lost the rpsL-neo cassette will grow on Streptomycin containing plates. Finally, we obtained many colonies of which the HA gene of the AIV was inserted into the U(S)2 locus to be modified of HVT. And we reconstituted one recombinant virus from transfecting one of these BAC clones DNA into chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs). We achieved one rescued recombinant virus which designated as rHVT-HA3. The H5 subtype HA gene expression in this recombinant virus rHVT-HA3 was confirmed by immunofluorescence assay.

When top-down becomes bottom up: behaviour of hyperdense howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) trapped on a 0.6 ha island.

Science.gov (United States)

Orihuela, Gabriela; Terborgh, John; Ceballos, Natalia; Glander, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Predators are a ubiquitous presence in most natural environments. Opportunities to contrast the behaviour of a species in the presence and absence of predators are thus rare. Here we report on the behaviour of howler monkey groups living under radically different conditions on two land-bridge islands in Lago Guri, Venezuela. One group of 6 adults inhabited a 190-ha island (Danto) where they were exposed to multiple potential predators. This group, the control, occupied a home range of 23 ha and contested access to food resources with neighbouring groups in typical fashion. The second group, containing 6 adults, was isolated on a remote, predator-free 0.6 ha islet (Iguana) offering limited food resources. Howlers living on the large island moved, fed and rested in a coherent group, frequently engaged in affiliative activities, rarely displayed agonistic behaviour and maintained intergroup spacing through howling. In contrast, the howlers on Iguana showed repulsion, as individuals spent most of their time spaced widely around the perimeter of the island. Iguana howlers rarely engaged in affiliative behaviour, often chased or fought with one another and were not observed to howl. These behaviors are interpreted as adjustments to the unrelenting deprivation associated with bottom-up limitation in a predator-free environment.

When top-down becomes bottom up: behaviour of hyperdense howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus trapped on a 0.6 ha island.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Orihuela

Full Text Available Predators are a ubiquitous presence in most natural environments. Opportunities to contrast the behaviour of a species in the presence and absence of predators are thus rare. Here we report on the behaviour of howler monkey groups living under radically different conditions on two land-bridge islands in Lago Guri, Venezuela. One group of 6 adults inhabited a 190-ha island (Danto where they were exposed to multiple potential predators. This group, the control, occupied a home range of 23 ha and contested access to food resources with neighbouring groups in typical fashion. The second group, containing 6 adults, was isolated on a remote, predator-free 0.6 ha islet (Iguana offering limited food resources. Howlers living on the large island moved, fed and rested in a coherent group, frequently engaged in affiliative activities, rarely displayed agonistic behaviour and maintained intergroup spacing through howling. In contrast, the howlers on Iguana showed repulsion, as individuals spent most of their time spaced widely around the perimeter of the island. Iguana howlers rarely engaged in affiliative behaviour, often chased or fought with one another and were not observed to howl. These behaviors are interpreted as adjustments to the unrelenting deprivation associated with bottom-up limitation in a predator-free environment.

DESARROLLO DE MATERIALES PARA RECAPADOS ASFALTICOS UTILIZADOS EN LA REHABILITACION DE PAVIMENTOS DETERIORADOS

OpenAIRE

WAHR DANIEL, CARLOS MANUEL

2009-01-01

El proyecto consistió en tres grandes etapas, la primera de estas consideró una modelación computacional de los esfuerzos y deformaciones en recapados asfálticos mediante el uso de un software de elementos finitos, la modelación se enfocó en el estudio de los principales mecanismos que influyen en la reflexión de grietas, estas modelaciones entregaron resultados acerca de los niveles de demanda (esfuerzos y deformaciones) a los cuales se ven sometidos los recapados asfálticos tant...

Orkesten onder druk? : Op zoek naar trends & ontwikkelingen in de HaFaBra-sector in Noord-Nederland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, Linda; Bisschop Boele, Evert

2015-01-01

In de HaFaBra-sector wordt al langere tijd gesproken over ‘de problematiek’ in de sector maar uit datzelfde veld komen verschillende berichten over de stand van zaken. Veel muziekverenigingen kennen dalende ledenaantallen, maar er zijn ook orkesten die het heel goed doen. Wat is er nu precies aan de

Chromium III histidinate exposure modulates antioxidant gene expression in HaCaT human keratinocytes exposed to oxidative stress

Science.gov (United States)

While the toxicity of hexavalent chromium is well established, trivalent Cr (Cr(III)) is an essential nutrient involved in insulin and glucose homeostasis. Recently, antioxidant effects of chromium (III) histidinate (Cr(III)His) were reported in HaCaT human keratinocytes exposed to oxidative stress...

Involvement of PI3K/AKT and MAPK Pathways for TNF-α Production in SiHa Cervical Mucosal Epithelial Cells Infected with Trichomonas vaginalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jung-Bo; Quan, Juan-Hua; Kim, Ye-Eun; Rhee, Yun-Ee; Kang, Byung-Hyun; Choi, In-Wook; Cha, Guang-Ho; Yuk, Jae-Min; Lee, Young-Ha

2015-08-01

Trichomonas vaginalis; induces proinflammation in cervicovaginal mucosal epithelium. To investigate the signaling pathways in TNF-α production in cervical mucosal epithelium after T. vaginalis infection, the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways were evaluated in T. vaginalis-infected SiHa cells in the presence and absence of specific inhibitors. T. vaginalis increased TNF-α production in SiHa cells, in a parasite burden-dependent and incubation time-dependent manner. In T. vaginalis-infected SiHa cells, AKT, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and JNK were phosphorylated from 1 hr after infection; however, the phosphorylation patterns were different from each other. After pretreatment with inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways, TNF-α production was significantly decreased compared to the control; however, TNF-α reduction patterns were different depending on the type of PI3K/MAPK inhibitors. TNF-α production was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with wortmannin and PD98059, whereas it was increased by SP600125. These data suggested that PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways are important in regulation of TNF-α production in cervical mucosal epithelial SiHa cells. However, activation patterns of each pathway were different from the types of PI3K/MAPK pathways.

Clinical significance of the changes of serum levels of the rheumatoid activity markers IL-2, sIL-2R, HA and VEGF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao Yong; Long Wubin; Yu Ke; Zeng Ying; Liu Deying

2004-01-01

Objective: To explore the relationship between rheumatoid activity and serum levels of the cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), hyaluronic acid (HA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Serum IL-2, HA(with RIA) and sIL-2R, VEGF (with ELISA) levels were determined in 30 controls, 30 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in remission. Sensitivity and specificity for each marker were analyzed. Results: In patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, the serum levels of sIL-2R, HA, VEGF were significantly higher and serum levels of IL-2 significantly lower than those in patients in remission and controls (p<0.01). Determination of VEGF levels possessed the highest specificity (93.3%) and also a high sensitivity (93.3% as well). Conclusion: Determination of the serum levels of any of these markers was valuable for monitoring the activity of the rheumatoid process. It is more desirable to take measurements of VEGF levels due to its highest specificity

Production of poly(β-l-malic acid) by Aureobasidium pullulans HA-4D under solid-state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Li, Rongqing; He, Aiyong; Xu, Jiaxing; Liu, Xiaoyan; Li, Xiangqian; Xu, Jiming

2017-11-01

Poly(β-l-malic acid) (PMA) production by Aureobasidium pullulans HA-4D was carried out through solid-state fermentation (SSF) using agro-industrial residues. Maximum PMA production (75.4mg/g substrate) was obtained from a mixed substrate of sweet potato residue and wheat bran (1:1, w/w) supplemented with NaNO 3 (0.8%, w/w) and CaCO 3 (2%, w/w), with an initial moisture content of 70% and inoculum size of 13% (v/w) for 8days. Repeated-batch SSF was successfully conducted for 5 cycles with a high productivity. The scanning electron microscopy showed that the yeast-like cells of A. pullulans HA-4D could grow well on the solid substrate surface. Moreover, the cost analysis showed that the unit price of PMA in SSF was much lower than that of SmF. This is the first report on PMA production via SSF, and this study provided a new method to produce PMA from inexpensive agro-industrial residues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viabilidad del estudio de la respuesta biológica en muestras opacas, utilizando microscopia correlativa

OpenAIRE

Torrent Camarero, Sergi

2014-01-01

La implantología para la sustitución ósea es un sector industrial en auge como resultado del envejecimiento de la población en el primer mundo. La mayoría de los implantes para la sustitución de tejido duro se fabrican con titanio comercialmente puro y presentan tratamientos superficiales que aumentan la rugosidad superficial para mejorar la osteointegración. El efecto de la rugosidad en la respuesta celular es un tema que ha sido ampliamente estudiado en una gran cantidad de estudios cien...

Diseño de un sistema mecatrónico para seleccionar paltas por calibre

OpenAIRE

Javier Cortez, Julio Ernesto

2015-01-01

A partir del año 2010, el Perú se encuentra en un auge de su producción agrícola y se viene colocando como uno de los principales exportadores de productos agrícolas hacia regiones como Asia, Europa y Estados Unidos de Norteamérica. Dentro de la gran variedad de productos que se viene exportando, se identificó a la palta en sus diferentes variedades como un producto que ha venido incrementando su volumen de exportación, alcanzando 179 mil millones de kilogramos, por un valor...

Revisión acerca de la eficacia en los protocolos de tratamiento existentes sobre la aplicación de mindfulness en el ámbito de la psicología

OpenAIRE

Usó González, Alba

2017-01-01

Treball de Final de Màster Universitari en Psicologia General Sanitària. Codi: SBF018. Curs acadèmic 2016-2017 En los últimos años hemos asistido a un desarrollo exponencial en los protocolos de intervención acerca de mindfulness. Las investigaciones sobre estos protocolos y su eficacia en la práctica clínica aplicados a distintas psicopatologías está en auge, aunque todavía son escasas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es identificar si tales protocolos son eficaces. Para ello se ha he...

Análisis de la Seguridad en Aplicaciones de Redes Móviles de Tercera Generación para el Establecimiento de Arquitecturas Políticas y Controles

OpenAIRE

Herrera Suárez, Juana A.

2005-01-01

Las tecnologías inalámbricas han tenido mucho auge y desarrollo en estos Últimos años, en particular una que ha experimentado un crecimiento espectacular es la telefonía celular. Desde sus inicios los teléfonos celulares han revolucionado enormemente las actividades que realizamos diariamente y se han convertido en una herramienta primordial para la gente comÚn y de negocios; las hace sentir más seguras y las hace más productivas. (Jiménez, 2003) A pesar de que fue concebida estrictamente par...

Analizar el aporte a las soluciones en aplicaciones móviles para el comercio electrónico en la ciudad de Quito

OpenAIRE

Vizuete Flores, Milton Renato

2012-01-01

Los antecedentes que podemos mencionar es el gran auge que ha tenido las comunicaciones móviles, desde hace varios años atrás comenzando con los primeros Smartphone’s con acceso a Internet muy básico y de muy poca utilidad pero siendo un pilar fundamental para el desarrollo de nuevas y mejores tecnologías móviles cada vez con mejores prestaciones hasta llegar a disponer de aplicaciones desarrolladas para equipos móviles que es el objeto de estudio de esta tesis, cuando una empresa dispone de ...

La comunicación de las acciones de responsabilidad social corporativa a través de las webs corporativas

OpenAIRE

Barrio Fraile, Estrella

2013-01-01

Estamos ante un nuevo modelo de gestión empresarial donde el protagonismo de los productos y servicios ha dado paso al auge de los valores intangibles, entre los cuales destaca la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC). Esta nueva situación, exige de una correcta gestión y comunicación de la RSC por parte de las empresas, debido a su influencia en la confianza de los públicos hacia éstas, y por consiguiente en la reputación de las propias empresas. or otro lado, no se puede obviar el contex...

El reglamento técnico de instalaciones eléctricas, retie, como una medida no arancelaria (mna): una oportunidad de mejora para algunas empresas del sector eléctrico en Bogotá

OpenAIRE

Montenegro Calderon, Dorys Marlen; Vargas Pulido, William Ernesto

2017-01-01

Dentro de la política comercial de Colombia se encuentran las Medidas no Arancelarias (MNA), como instrumento de mitigación del auge de los Tratados de Libre Comercio, TLC, por lo cual se les ha considerado como Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio, OTC, sin embargo, este trabajo de investigación evidencia un punto de vista innovador y diferente mediante el análisis de los aspectos positivos de las experiencias en algunas empresas del sector eléctrico colombiano y del Clúster de Energía de Bogotá,...

Ventilación Mecánica No Invasiva en el tratamiento de las Enfermedades Neuromusculares. Revisión bibliográfica

OpenAIRE

García Bolado, Gloria

2015-01-01

Gran parte de las enfermedades neuromusculares evolucionan hacia una alteración de la función respiratoria que se manifiesta con un síndrome restrictivo que cursa con hipercapnia e hipoxemia. Unido a la debilidad muscular que conllevan estas enfermedades, no sólo supone un empeoramiento en su calidad de vida, sino también un peligro para la supervivencia, al ser la insuficiencia respiratoria causa frecuente de hospitalización y muerte. En los últimos 30 años se ha producido un auge en la util...

Algas: cosmética y salud

OpenAIRE

Arenas, Patricia Marta; Guayta, Silvina L.

1998-01-01

El uso de las algas con fines estéticos y terapéuticos tiene su origen en tiempos muy antiguos. El auge de la utilización de “productos naturales” ha llevado a sobrevalorar las propiedades de los vegetales en general y de las algas en particular. Por tal razón, las mismas gozan de un elevado prestigio, incluso cuando las propiedades reales son en gran medida superadas por las popularmente atribuidas. De allí que surja la necesidad de abordar estudios interdisciplinarios y de naturaleza aplica...

Desarrollo de un sistema de recogida de datos en Facebook aplicando gamificación

OpenAIRE

Castaño Chillarón, Diego

2015-01-01

El surgimiento del Big Data unido al auge de las redes sociales en los últimos años ha propiciado que éstas almacenen cada vez más datos de los usuarios, en un intento de rentabilizar su modelo de negocio, explotándolos principalmente a través de la publicidad dirigida. Facebook se encuentra a la cabeza en esta carrera por los datos, almacenando información de 1.44 billones de usuarios (datos personales, gustos, relaciones, etc.). Con este creciente ecosistema surgen nuevas oportunidades p...

Tendencias de la descripción bibliográfica en revistas españolas de acceso abierto

OpenAIRE

López Carreño, Rosana; Martínez Méndez, Francisco Javier

2015-01-01

El uso de normas y estilos de descripción bibliográfica estándares a nivel internacional ha dotado a las revistas científicas de un considerable nivel de rigor y uniformidad para el intercambio y manejo de datos bibliográficos entre sistemas distintos, al influir positivamente en la difusión y el impacto de la producción científica. En pleno auge de la publicación en acceso abierto creemos conveniente estudiar estos patrones de comportamiento, concretamente en las revistas editadas en España....

Study of artificial intelligence algorithms applied to the generation of non-playable characters in arcade games

OpenAIRE

Garduño Hernández, Daniel

2017-01-01

En la actualidad, el auge de la Inteligencia Artificial en diversos campos está llevando a un aumento en la investigación que se lleva a cabo en ella. Uno de estos campos es el de los videojuegos. Desde el inicio de los videojuegos, ha primado la experiencia del usuario en términos de jugabilidad y gráficos, sobre todo, prestando menor atención a la Inteligencia Artificial. Ahora, debido a que cada vez se dispone de mejores máquinas que pueden realizar acciones computacionalmen...

Seguridad en servicios web

OpenAIRE

Bernardis, Edgardo; Bernardis, Hernán; Berón, Mario; Montejano, Germán Antonio

2017-01-01

Con el auge de internet y las distintas dinámicas de la sociedad actual, ha cambiado en gran medida la forma de interactuar entre las personas y las empresas. Este cambio notable se observa en la forma de intercambiar información entre los distintos actores. Este intercambio se vuelve de particular interés siendo blanco de ataque por parte de todos aquellos actores que quieren obtener información útil y valiosa a sus propios intereses o de terceros. Es aquí donde cobra particular relevancia i...

Relación entre identidad, conducta virtual, bienestar subjetivo y rupturas afectivas en jóvenes universitarios

OpenAIRE

Portillo Guerra, Carlos Javier

2014-01-01

El auge de las redes sociales ha permitido que se conviertan en lugares importantes de elaboración de la identidad dada la facilidad para la autoapertura y validación social de roles personales, asociándose esto a una percepción de mayor bienestar subjetivo. Aunque hay literatura importante sobre la elaboración de la identidad en redes sociales, existe poca información sobre elaboración de crisis de identidad en el ambiente virtual, particularmente, la generada por una ruptura afectiva. La pr...

Inhibition of Connexin 26/43 and Extracellular-Regulated Kinase Protein Plays a Critical Role in Melatonin Facilitated Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication in Hydrogen Peroxide-Treated HaCaT Keratinocyte Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyo-Jung Lee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Though melatonin was known to regulate gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC in chick astrocytes and mouse hepatocytes, the underlying mechanism by melatonin was not elucidated in hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2- treated HaCaT keratinocyte cells until now. In the current study, though melatonin at 2 mM and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 at 300 μM showed weak cytotoxicity in HaCaT keratinocyte cells, melatonin significantly suppressed the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS in H2O2-treated HaCaT cells compared to untreated controls. Also, the scrape-loading dye-transfer assay revealed that melatonin enhances the intercellular communication by introducing Lucifer Yellow into H2O2-treated cells. Furthermore, melatonin significantly enhanced the expression of connexin 26 (Cx26 and connexin 43 (Cx43 at mRNA and protein levels, but not that of connexin 30 (Cx30 in H2O2-treated HaCaT cells. Of note, melatonin attenuated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERKs more than p38 MAPK or JNK in H2O2-treated HaCaT cells. Conversely, ERK inhibitor PD98059 promoted the intercellular communication in H2O2-treated HaCaT cells. Furthermore, combined treatment of melatonin (200 μM and vitamin C (10 μg/mL significantly reduced ROS production in H2O2-treated HaCaT cells. Overall, these findings support the scientific evidences that melatonin facilitates gap junctional intercellular communication in H2O2-treated HaCaT keratinocyte cells via inhibition of connexin 26/43 and ERK as a potent chemopreventive agent.

Energy balance of algal biomass production in a 1-ha “Green Wall Panel” plant: How to produce algal biomass in a closed reactor achieving a high Net Energy Ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tredici, M.R.; Bassi, N.; Prussi, M.; Biondi, N.; Rodolfi, L.; Chini Zittelli, G.; Sampietro, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Tetraselmis suecica production in a 1-ha GWP plant in Tuscany (Italy) has a NER < 1. • Major energy costs are embodied energy of GWP and mixing. • In a suitable location (North Africa) the NER increases by 40%. • Integration of photovoltaic in the GWP allows to achieve a NER of 1.7. • T. suecica cultivated in a GWP plant can yield up to 30 t of protein ha −1 year −1 . - Abstract: The annual productivity of Tetraselmis suecica in a 1-ha Green Wall Panel-II (GWP-II) plant in Tuscany (Italy) is 36 t (dry weight) ha −1 year −1 , which corresponds to an energy output of 799 GJ ha −1 year −1 . The energy inputs necessary to attain that productivity amount to 1362 GJ ha −1 year −1 , mainly given by the embodied energy of the reactor (about 30%), mixing (about 40%), fertilizers (11%) and harvesting (10%). The Net Energy Ratio (NER) of T. suecica production is thus 0.6. In a more suitable location (North Africa) productivity nearly doubles, reaching 66 t ha −1 year −1 , but the NER increases only by 40% and the gain (difference between output and inputs) remains negative. In a GWP-II integrated with photovoltaics (PV), the NER becomes 1.7 and the gain surpasses 600 GJ ha −1 year −1 . Marine microalgae cultivation in a GWP plant, in a suitable location, can attain high biomass productivities and protein yields 30 times higher than those achievable with traditional crops (soya). When the GWP reactor is integrated with PV, the process attains a positive energy balance, which substantially enhances its sustainability

Un nuevo enfoque para la resolución de problemas: redes neuronales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonatán Gómez Perdomo

2015-05-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN El siguiente artículo  expone los lineamientos generales de un nuevo enfoque para la resolución de problemas mediante computador. Inspiradas en las redes neuronales biológicas, las redes neuronales artifíciales han  mostrado mayor efectividad para resolver problemas que los enfoques tradicionales no han  solucionado o lo han hecho de manera parcial. En la actualidad este enfoque ha ganado un gran auge, lo cual ha generado en el país grupos de investigación que están trabajando sobre sí mismo. Como parte de su trabajo  en el grupo de la Universidad Nacional, los autores desarrollan una herramienta para el diseño, entrenamiento y simulación de redes neuronales artificiales. Las características generales de esta herramienta  se exponen al final.

Cómo la informática ha reanimado los procesos y estéticas de la animación artística

OpenAIRE

Álvarez Sarrat, Sara; Lorenzo Hernández, María Carmen

2012-01-01

Este artículo analiza la evolución que ha experimentado la animación artística en la era digital, destacando la paradoja que supone la revitalización de los procedimientos de animación a mano (dibujo, pintura bajo cámara, procesos de grabado) en el entorno digital. De esta manera, se ha generado una relación paradójica entre modernidad y artesanía: a pesar de su virtualidad, las nuevas tecnologías proporcionan una interfaz de trabajo que permite al artista-animador expresar sus intenciones de...

Gene fusions AHRR-NCOA2, NCOA2-ETV4, ETV4-AHRR, P4HA2-TBCK, and TBCK-P4HA2 resulting from the translocations t(5;8;17)(p15;q13;q21) and t(4;5)(q24;q31) in a soft tissue angiofibroma.

Science.gov (United States)

Panagopoulos, Ioannis; Gorunova, Ludmila; Viset, Trond; Heim, Sverre

2016-11-01

We present an angiofibroma of soft tissue with the karyotype 46,XY,t(4;5)(q24;q31),t(5;8;17)(p15;q13;q21)[8]/46,XY,t(1;14)(p31;q32)[2]/46,XY[3]. RNA‑sequencing showed that the t(4;5)(q24;q31) resulted in recombination of the genes TBCK on 4q24 and P4HA2 on 5q31.1 with generation of an in‑frame TBCK‑P4HA2 and the reciprocal but out‑of‑frame P4HA2‑TBCK fusion transcripts. The putative TBCK‑P4HA2 protein would contain the kinase, the rhodanese‑like domain, and the Tre‑2/Bub2/Cdc16 (TBC) domains of TBCK together with the P4HA2 protein which is a component of the prolyl 4‑hydroxylase. The t(5;8;17)(p15;q13;q21) three‑way chromosomal translocation targeted AHRR (on 5p15), NCOA2 (on 8q13), and ETV4 (on 17q21) generating the in‑frame fusions AHRR‑NCOA2 and NCOA2‑ETV4 as well as an out‑of‑frame ETV4‑AHRR transcript. In the AHRR‑NCOA2 protein, the C‑terminal part of AHRR is replaced by the C‑terminal part of NCOA2 which contains two activation domains. The NCOA2‑ETV4 protein would contain the helix‑loop‑helix, PAS_9 and PAS_11, CITED domains, the SRC‑1 domain of NCOA2 and the ETS DNA‑binding domain of ETV4. No fusion gene corresponding to t(1;14)(p31;q32) was found. Our findings indicate that, in spite of the recurrence of AHRR‑NCOA2 in angiofibroma of soft tissue, additional genetic events (or fusion genes) might be required for the development of this tumor.

7 CFR 1980.495 - FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 forms and guides.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01