Membrane fouling, which arises from the nonspecific interaction between the membrane surface and foulants, significantly impedes the efficient application of membrane technology. Antifouling and ...antimicrobial materials are important classes of functional materials for the surface modification of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes. Applications of various organic and inorganic materials having different characteristics such as size, surface charge, hydrophilicity, functionality and biocidal activity, provide protective/sacrificial layers to the membrane surface against different foulants and microorganisms. This review summarizes the properties and applications of organic and inorganic materials, antifouling mechanisms, and surface modification of pre-formed membranes. Materials such as zwitterionic polymers, neutral polymers, polyelectrolytes, amphiphilic polymers, quaternary ammonium polymers, biopolymers, hydrophilic polymers, polydopamine, inorganic salts, and nanomaterials have shown great potential in reducing foulant adhesion and/or proliferative microbial growth on membrane surfaces.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease increasingly affecting our aging population. Remarkable advances have been made in developing novel therapies to control symptoms, halt ...or cure the disease, ranging from physiotherapy and small molecules to cell and gene therapy. This progress was enabled by the existence of reliable animal models. The nonhuman primate model of Parkinson's disease emulates the cardinal symptoms of the disease, including tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability, freezing and cognitive impairment. However, this model is established through the specific loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, while our current knowledge reflects the reality of Parkinson's disease as a multisystem disease. Parkinson's disease involves both motor and non-motor symptoms, such as sleep disturbance, olfaction, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, depression and cognitive deficits. Some of the non-motor symptoms emerge earlier at the prodromal phase and worsen with disease progression, yet in basic and translational studies, they are rarely considered as endpoints. In this study, we set to characterize an ensemble of less described motor and non-motor dysfunctions in the marmoset MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) model. We provide evidence that this animal model expresses postural head tremor and a progressive worsening of fine motor skills, movement coordination and cognitive abilities over a 6-month period. We report for the first time a non-invasive approach showing detailed analysis of daytime and nighttime sleep and circadian rhythm disturbance remarkably similar to Parkinson's disease patients. This study describes the incidence of tremors, motor and non-motor dysfunctions in a preclinical model and highlights the need for their consideration in translating effective new therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Neurological disorders – disorders of the brain, spine and associated nerves – are a leading contributor to global disease burden with a shockingly large associated economic cost. Various treatment ...approaches – pharmaceutical medication, device-based therapy, physiotherapy, surgical intervention, among others – have been explored to alleviate the resulting extent of human suffering. In recent years, gene therapy using viral vectors – encoding a therapeutic gene or inhibitory RNA into a “gutted” viral capsid and supplying it to the nervous system – has emerged as a clinically viable option for therapy of brain disorders. In this Review, we provide an overview of the current state and advances in the field of viral vector-mediated gene therapy for neurological disorders. Vector tools and delivery methods have evolved considerably over recent years, with the goal of providing greater and safer genetic access to the central nervous system. Better etiological understanding of brain disorders has concurrently led to identification of improved therapeutic targets. We focus on the vector technology, as well as preclinical and clinical progress made thus far for brain cancer and various neurodegenerative and neurometabolic disorders, and point out the challenges and limitations that accompany this new medical modality. Finally, we explore the directions that neurological gene therapy is likely to evolve towards in the future.
This article is part of the Special Issue entitled “Beyond small molecules for neurological disorders”.
•Provides an overview of viral vector-mediated gene therapy for brain disorders.•Greater, safer genetic access to the central nervous system by viral vector tools.•Focus on clinical progress for neurological disorders and brain tumors.•Outline of existing challenges and future directions for clinical gene therapy.
Vegetable oils rich in oleic acid are more desirable than oils rich in polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. The biological switch of oleic acid to linoleic acid is facilitated by fatty acid ...desaturase 2 enzyme that is further classified into FAD2-1, FAD2-2, FAD2-3, and FAD2-4. The genes coding these enzymes have high sequence similarity, but differ mostly in their expression patterns. The seed-type
genes had evolved independently after segregation by duplication from constitutively expressed
genes. Temperature, light and wounding effectively regulate
expression in plants.
genes are expressed differently in different tissues of the plant, and the over-expression of
modifies physiological and vegetative characteristics. The activity of FAD2 leads to an increase in the content of dienoic fatty acids, and hence increases the resistance toward cold and salt stress. The thorough study of the
gene is important for understanding the expression, regulation and mechanism that will help in improving the quality of oil and stress resistance in plants.
Herein, we report a Pd(0)-catalyzed cascade reaction of intramolecular indolyl isocyanide-insertion, isocyanide-initiated scaffold-rearrangement with indolyl migration and redox-neutral process, ...which affords an efficient access to indolylisoindolinones. Isocyanide as a C (sp 3 ) H–N synthon and the alkyl motif of isocyanide as a hydride source have been explored for the first time.
We propose that several different reactor irradiation times followed by assaying of activity for differential counting periods may be employed for quality control (QC) of neutron activation analysis ...(NAA) data of biological samples. It is also recommended that three to four reference materials (RMs) of similar matrix but from different agencies such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, USA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, Vienna), Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT, Poland), and National Institute of Environmental Studies (NIES, Japan) including a synthetic multielemental primary standard should always be analyzed simultaneously along with the samples. Finally, the mean ±
σ
values so obtained may be considered as more reliable after statistical analysis. Our analytical data for Na and K in three RMs (SRM 1572, CRM H-9, and Bowen’s Kale) using different irradiation periods of 15 m, 2 h, 6 h, and 1 day were comparable with the certified values within error range of + 0.2 to − 2.7%. We report our data for 20 elements in two candidate RMs corn flour (INCT-CF-3) and soya bean flour (INCT-SBF-4) from the INCT, Poland, where Z-score values for most elements are in reasonable range of certified values.
Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) enhance thermogenesis and may reduce food intake relative to long chain triglycerides (LCT). The goal of this study was to establish the effects of MCT on appetite ...and food intake and determine whether differences were due to differences in hormone concentrations.
Two randomized, crossover studies were conducted in which overweight men consumed 20 g of MCT or corn oil (LCT) at breakfast. Blood samples were obtained over 3 h. In Study 1 (n=10), an ad lib lunch was served after 3 h. In Study 2 (n=7), a preload containing 10 g of test oil was given at 3 h and lunch was served 1 h later. Linear mixed model analyses were performed to determine the effects of MCT and LCT oil on change in hormones and metabolites from fasting, adjusting for body weight. Correlations were computed between differences in hormones just before the test meals and differences in intakes after the two oils for Study 1 only.
Food intake at the lunch test meal after the MCT preload (Study 2) was (mean±s.e.m.) 532±389 kcal vs 804±486 kcal after LCT (P<0.05). MCT consumption resulted in a lower rise in triglycerides (P=0.014) and glucose (P=0.066) and a higher rise in peptide YY (PYY, P=0.017) and leptin (P=0.036) compared with LCT (combined data). Correlations between differences in hormone levels (glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), PYY) and differences in food intake were in the opposite direction to expectations.
MCT consumption reduced food intake acutely but this does not seem to be mediated by changes in GLP-1, PYY and insulin.
We extend our previous analysis of cosmological supernova type Ia data CITE to include three recent compilation of data sets. Our analysis ignores the possible correlations and systematic effects ...present in the data and concentrates mostly on some key theoretical issues. Among the three data sets, the first set consists of 194 points obtained from various observations while the second discards some of the points from the first one because of large uncertainties and thus consists of 142 points. The third data set is obtained from the second by adding the latest 14 points observed through HST. A careful comparison of these different data sets help us to draw the following conclusions: (i) All the three data sets strongly rule out non-accelerating models. Interestingly, the first and the second data sets favour a closed universe; if $\Omega_{\rm tot}\equiv \Omega_{\rm m}+\Omega_{\Lambda}$, then the probability of obtaining models with $\Omega_{\rm tot} > 1$ is $\ga$0.97. Hence these data sets are in mild disagreement with the “concordance” flat model. However, this disagreement is reduced (the probability of obtaining models with $\Omega_{\rm tot} > 1$ being ≈0.9) for the third data set, which includes the most recent points observed by HST around $1 < z < 1.6$. (ii) When the first data set is divided into two separate subsets consisting of low ($z < 0.34$) and high ($z > 0.34$) redshift supernova, it turns out that these two subsets, individually, admit non-accelerating models with zero dark energy because of different magnitude zero-point values for the different subsets. This can also be seen when the data is analysed while allowing for possibly different magnitude zero-points for the two redshift subsets. However, the non-accelerating models seem to be ruled out using only the low redshift data for the other two data sets, which have less uncertainties. (iii) We have also found that it is quite difficult to measure the evolution of the dark energy equation of state $w_X(z)$ though its present value can be constrained quite well. The best-fit value seems to mildly favour a dark energy component with current equation of state $w_X < -1$, thus opening the possibility of existence of more exotic forms of matter. However, the data is still consistent with the the standard cosmological constant at 99 per cent confidence level for $\Omega_{\rm m} \ga 0.2$.
Abstract
It is increasingly recognised that the microbes residing in the gastrointestinal tract can influence brain physiology and behaviour, via the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Here, we made a first ...explorative evaluation at the association between the gut microbiota and behaviour in suckling piglets. 16S microbiota profiling information was obtained from two independent replicate experiments at 2 and 4 weeks of age. Piglets underwent a backtest to assess their personality or coping style at 2 weeks of age, and were subjected to a combined open field and novel object test at 3.5 weeks of age, recording anxiety-related and exploratory behaviour. The number of squeals vocalised during the open field test was associated with microbial groups such as
Coprococcus 3
and
CAG-873
, whereas in the novel object test, explorative behaviour was significantly associated with microbial genera like
Atopobium
and
Prevotella.
Overall, this study explores the microbiota-behavioural relation by employing multivariate analysis and exemplifies the importance of individualised analyses when evaluating such relationships.
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