Although black carbon (BC) is one of the key atmospheric particulate components driving climate change and air quality, there is no agreement on the terminology that considers all aspects of specific ...properties, definitions, measurement methods, and related uncertainties. As a result, there is much ambiguity in the scientific literature of measurements and numerical models that refer to BC with different names and based on different properties of the particles, with no clear definition of the terms. The authors present here a recommended terminology to clarify the terms used for BC in atmospheric research, with the goal of establishing unambiguous links between terms, targeted material properties and associated measurement techniques.
To evaluate a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and compare it with RT-PCR.
...We designed primers specific to the orf1ab and S genes of SARS-CoV-2. Total viral RNA was extracted using the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit. We optimized the RT-LAMP assay, and evaluated it for its sensitivity and specificity of detection using real-time turbidity monitoring and visual observation.
The primer sets orf1ab-4 and S-123 amplified the genes in the shortest times, the mean (±SD) times were 18 ± 1.32 min and 20 ± 1.80 min, respectively, and 63°C was the optimum reaction temperature. The sensitivities were 2 × 101 copies and 2 × 102 copies per reaction with primer sets orf1ab-4 and S-123, respectively. This assay showed no cross-reactivity with 60 other respiratory pathogens. To describe the availability of this method in clinical diagnosis, we collected 130 specimens from patients with clinically suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them, 58 were confirmed to be positive and 72 were negative by RT-LAMP. The sensitivity was 100% (95% CI 92.3%–100%), specificity 100% (95% CI 93.7%–100%). This assay detected SARS-CoV-2 in a mean (±SD) time of 26.28 ± 4.48 min and the results can be identified with visual observation.
These results demonstrate that we developed a rapid, simple, specific and sensitive RT-LAMP assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection among clinical samples. It will be a powerful tool for SARS-CoV-2 identification, and for monitoring suspected patients, close contacts and high-risk groups.
Summary
Clonostachys rosea is a promising saprophytic filamentous fungus that belongs to phylum Ascomycota. Clonostachys rosea is widespread around the world and exists in many kinds of habitats, ...with the highest frequency in soil. As an excellent mycoparasite, C. rosea exhibits strong biological control ability against numerous fungal plant pathogens, nematodes and insects. These behaviours are based on the activation of multiple mechanisms such as secreted cell‐wall‐degrading enzymes, production of antifungal secondary metabolites and induction of plant defence systems. Besides having significant biocontrol activity, C. rosea also functions in the biodegradation of plastic waste, biotransformation of bioactive compounds, as a bioenergy sources and in fermentation. This mini review summarizes information about the biology and various applications of C. rosea and expands on its possible uses.
Hearing loss is a major risk factor for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and central auditory processing disorder. Although recent studies indicate that hearing loss causes neuroinflammation in the auditory ...pathway, the mechanisms underlying hearing loss-related pathologies are still poorly understood. We examined neuroinflammation in the auditory cortex following noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and its role in tinnitus in rodent models. Our results indicate that NIHL is associated with elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines and microglial activation-two defining features of neuroinflammatory responses-in the primary auditory cortex (AI). Genetic knockout of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or pharmacologically blocking TNF-α expression prevented neuroinflammation and ameliorated the behavioral phenotype associated with tinnitus in mice with NIHL. Conversely, infusion of TNF-α into AI resulted in behavioral signs of tinnitus in both wild-type and TNF-α knockout mice with normal hearing. Pharmacological depletion of microglia also prevented tinnitus in mice with NIHL. At the synaptic level, the frequency of miniature excitatory synaptic currents (mEPSCs) increased and that of miniature inhibitory synaptic currents (mIPSCs) decreased in AI pyramidal neurons in animals with NIHL. This excitatory-to-inhibitory synaptic imbalance was completely prevented by pharmacological blockade of TNF-α expression. These results implicate neuroinflammation as a therapeutic target for treating tinnitus and other hearing loss-related disorders.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
The aim of this study was to examine the association of dietary protein intake and protein sources with cognitive function in population aged 60 years and older.
Design
Cross-sectional ...study.
Setting
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014.
Participants
Non-institutionalized US adults aged 60 years and older.
Measurements
Cognitive functions were assessed by a series of cognitive tests. Dietary protein intake was assessed by two 24-hour dietary recall interviews. Linear regression analyses were used to assess the associations between quartiles of dietary protein intake and cognitive function.
Results
Protein intake was positively associated with cognitive function. In full-adjusted model, the significant association between dietary protein intake and Recall Test score was observed (quartile (Q) 2 versus Q1, β=0.24, 95%CI: 0.01 to 0.47); the association between protein intake and Animal Fluency test was significant (Q2 versus Q1, β=1.40, 95%CI: 0.51 to 2.29; Q4 versus Q1, β=1.42, 95%CI: 0.37 to 2.48); the positive associations with DSST score and Composite z-score were observed both in Q2 versus Q1 and Q3 versus Q1 of protein intake. Protein intake from total animal, total meat, eggs and legumes were associated with a better performance on certain cognitive tests. However, an adverse association between higher protein intake from milk and milk products and cognitive function was observed.
Conclusions
We found the positive associations of dietary protein intake and protein intake from total animal, total meat, eggs and legumes with cognitive function in adults aged 60 years and older, while higher milk and milk products were negatively associated with cognitive function.
We collected MRI diffusion tensor imaging data from 80 younger (20–32 years) and 63 older (60–71 years) healthy adults. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis revealed that white matter ...integrity, as indicated by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), was disrupted in numerous structures in older compared to younger adults. These regions displayed five distinct region-specific patterns of age-related differences in other diffusivity properties: (1) increases in both radial and mean diffusivity; (2) increases in radial diffusivity; (3) no differences in parameters other than FA; (4) a decrease in axial and an increase in radial diffusivity; and (5) a decrease in axial and mean diffusivity. These patterns suggest different biological underpinnings of age-related decline in FA, such as demyelination, Wallerian degeneration, gliosis, and severe fiber loss, and may represent stages in a cascade of age-related degeneration in white matter microstructure. This first simultaneous description of age-related differences in FA, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity requires histological and functional validation as well as analyses of intermediate age groups and longitudinal samples.
We present experimental studies on ion acceleration using an 800-nm circularly polarized laser pulse with a peak intensity of 6.9×10^{19} W/cm^{2} interacting with an overdense plasma that is ...produced by a laser prepulse ionizing an initially ultrathin plastic foil. The proton spectra exhibit spectral peaks at energies up to 9 MeV with energy spreads of 30% and fluxes as high as 3×10^{12} protons/MeV/sr. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations reveal that collisionless shocks are efficiently launched by circularly polarized lasers in exploded plasmas, resulting in the acceleration of quasimonoenergetic proton beams. Furthermore, this scheme predicts the generation of quasimonoenergetic proton beams with peak energies of approximately 150 MeV using current laser technology, representing a significant step toward applications such as proton therapy.
Effective and safe treatment of auditory and vestibular diseases has become increasingly dependent on inner ear drug delivery systems. This review highlights recent advances in inner ear drug ...delivery research and technologies. The focus is on strategies to overcome delivery barriers and to improve drug residence and targeting, with special attention to in vivo animal and human studies. The research in gene and stem cell delivery to the inner ear is briefly reviewed. Newly developed research tools to address experimental challenges and safety issues are discussed. Local drug delivery to the inner ear with non-invasive or minimally invasive approaches still remains challenging. Nanocarrier-based systems with sustained and targeted delivery properties may be promising for future clinical applications. Precisely controlled intratympanic and intracochlear administration with minimized trauma to the delicate inner ear represents the future perspective in inner ear drug research and development. Trans-oval window delivery may be promising as it allows direct delivery of drugs to the vestibule for vestibular disorders while avoiding the undesired effects due to drug distribution to the cochlea.
Display omitted
Technologies that use stretchable materials are increasingly important, yet we are unable to control how they stretch with much more sophistication than inflating balloons. Nature, however, ...demonstrates remarkable control of stretchable surfaces; for example, cephalopods can project hierarchical structures from their skin in milliseconds for a wide range of textural camouflage. Inspired by cephalopod muscular morphology, we developed synthetic tissue groupings that allowed programmable transformation of two-dimensional (2D) stretchable surfaces into target 3D shapes. The synthetic tissue groupings consisted of elastomeric membranes embedded with inextensible textile mesh that inflated to within 10% of their target shapes by using a simple fabrication method and modeling approach. These stretchable surfaces transform from flat sheets to 3D textures that imitate natural stone and plant shapes and camouflage into their background environments.
Objectives
Copper has been added to scaffolds when investigating bone repair, as an agent to promote vascularization; however, little is known concerning its effect on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), ...which are considered to be the origin of osteoblasts. In this study, we have aimed to elucidate effects of copper on osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.
Materials and methods
Rat bone marrow MSCs (rBMSCs) were used as a model. Their viability was assessed by MTT assay and Roche's CASY cell counter test and calcium deposition was evaluated by staining with alizarin red S. Fluorescent phalloidin F‐actin stain was used to evaluate cytoskeletal changes, protein expressions were investigated by western blotting and mRNA levels were analysed using Q‐PCR. A rat model for ectopic bone formation was used to assess effects of copper on MSCs in vivo.
Results
Copper supplementation resulted in inhibition of osteogenesis of rBMSCs, along with reduction in expression of a number of osteogenic genes, alkaline phosphatase activity and formation of bone nodules. Cytoskeletal changes to cells during osteogenesis was inhibited by copper supplementation. In vivo study confirmed that copper could inhibit collagen formation whilst promoting angiogenesis.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that copper inhibited osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs in vitro. The findings caution appropriate use of copper and have laid a foundation for further research.
PDF
