Toxicity of particulate matter (PM) towards the epidermis has been well established in many epidemiological studies. It is manifested in cancer, aging, and skin damage. In this study, we aimed to ...show the mechanism underlying the protective effects of eckol, a phlorotannin isolated from brown seaweed, on human HaCaT keratinocytes against PM
-induced cell damage. First, to elucidate the underlying mechanism of toxicity of PM
, we checked the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, which contributed significantly to cell damage. Experimental data indicate that excessive ROS caused damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA and induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, eckol (30 μM) decreased ROS generation, ensuring the stability of molecules, and maintaining a steady mitochondrial state. The western blot analysis showed that PM
promoted apoptosis-related protein levels and activated MAPK signaling pathway, whereas eckol protected cells from apoptosis by inhibiting MAPK signaling pathway. This was further reinforced by detailed investigations using MAPK inhibitors. Thus, our results demonstrated that inhibition of PM
-induced cell apoptosis by eckol was through MAPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, eckol could protect skin HaCaT cells from PM
-induced apoptosis via inhibiting ROS generation.
This article examines the role of community organizations in generating meaning during a campaign to organize Haitian nursing assistants in Boston, USA. There is by now a sizeable literature on ...labour-community coalition formation, yet it is not understood how repertoires are generated in the community and how they are translated into the realm of employment relations. This study examines how meanings generated in three community organizations, churches, ethnic media and hometown associations were transferred into the organizing process. Findings indicate that collective identities and political selves constructed through experiences in the community can help low-wage immigrant workers overcome the sense of powerlessness that they often experience at work. Contributions to scholarship on community unionism and mobilization theory are discussed.
Skin is exposed to various harmful environmental factors such as air pollution, which includes different types of particulate matter (PM). Atmospheric PM has harmful effects on humans through ...increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been reported to promote skin aging via the induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which in turn can cause the degradation of collagen. In this study, we investigated the effect of fermented fish oil (FFO) derived from mackerel on fine PM (particles with a diameter < 2.5 µm: PM
)-induced skin aging in human keratinocytes. We found that FFO inhibited the PM
-induced generation of intracellular ROS and MMPs, including MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9. In addition, FFO significantly abrogated the elevation of intracellular Ca
levels in PM
-treated cells and was also found to block the PM
-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase/activator protein 1 (MAPK/AP-1) pathway. In conclusion, FFO has an anti-aging effect on PM
-induced aging in human keratinocytes.
In vitro plant regeneration involves a two-step practice of callus formation and de novo organogenesis. During callus formation, cellular competence for tissue regeneration is acquired, but it is ...elusive what molecular processes and genetic factors are involved in establishing cellular pluripotency. To explore the mechanisms underlying pluripotency acquisition during callus formation in monocot plants, we performed a transcriptomic analysis on the pluripotent and non-pluripotent rice calli using RNA-seq. We obtained a dataset of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which accounts for molecular processes underpinning pluripotency acquisition and maintenance. Core regulators establishing root stem cell niche were implicated in pluripotency acquisition in rice callus, as observed in Arabidopsis. In addition, KEGG analysis showed that photosynthetic process and sugar and amino acid metabolism were substantially suppressed in pluripotent calli, whereas lipid and antioxidant metabolism were overrepresented in up-regulated DEGs. We also constructed a putative coexpression network related to cellular pluripotency in rice and proposed potential candidates conferring pluripotency in rice callus. Overall, our transcriptome-based analysis can be a powerful resource for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms establishing cellular pluripotency in rice callus.
Formal organizations advancing the goals of identity-based social movements and identity groups have become increasingly interdependent. The former often lacks legitimacy in the eyes of stakeholders ...and the latter typically possesses insufficient organizational capacity. In principle, the transfer of ideas and resources between formal organizations in social movements and social identity groups can result in organizational innovation that revives the formal organization while at the same time enhancing the status of the identity group. But in practice, collaborations between formal organizations and identity groups often result in identity groups being overpowered by formal organizations. This article compares outcomes for identity groups in two cases of trade unions adopting the causes of identity-based social movements to examine the role of organizational processes in explaining outcomes for identity group members. The findings from the comparative cases analyzed here suggest that identity group members must be able to influence organizational processes in order to impact how they are incorporated into the formal organization.
Hair growth is regulated by the interaction between dermal papilla cells (DPC) and other cells inside the hair follicle. Here, we show the effect and action mechanism of mackerel-derived fermented ...fish oil (FFO) extract and its component docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the control of hair growth. The hair growth effect of FFO extract was evaluated by the culture method of vibrissa follicles and in vivo dotmatrix planimetry method. FFO extract increased the length of hair-fibers and enabled stimulated initiation into the anagen phase of the hair cycle. As expected, FFO extract significantly increased DPC proliferation. FFO extract induced the progression of the cell cycle and the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 and Akt. FFO extract induced nuclear translocation of β-catenin, a stimulator of anagen phase, through an increase of phospho-glycogen synthase kinase3β (GSK3β) level. Since various prostaglandins are known to promote hair growth in humans and mice, we examined the effect of DHA, a main omega-3 fatty acid of FFO, on DPC proliferation. DHA not only increased DPC proliferation but also upregulated levels of cell cycle-associated proteins such as cyclin D1 and cdc2 p34. These results show that FFO extract and DHA promote hair growth through the anagen-activating pathways in DPC.
The institutional logics perspective holds the promise of delivering where neo‐institutionalist theory has disappointed – the ability to address key societal problems such as inequality, social ...discrimination, and economic insecurity – a promise that, as of yet, has been unrealized. In this review, I provide an overview of the body of work within the institutional logics perspective that addresses the co‐existence of multiple institutional logics influencing identities, values, cognitive frameworks, and practices – institutional pluralism. I demonstrate how pluralism diverges from conventional neo‐institutionalist theory in its view of institutional fields as heterogeneous spaces. I then review the implications for organizations and social actors responding to multiple logics in the institutional environment. In the discussion section, I argue that the study of pluralism, in acknowledging human agency, politics, and collective mobilization, opens the door for creative resolutions to societal problems hitherto overlooked in neo‐institutional theory. Despite the promise, I address key research areas that remain unresolved or under‐addressed in the institutional pluralism perspective.
Recent interest has been focused on the production of platform chemicals from renewable biomass due to increasing concerns on global warming and depletion of fossil fuel reserves. Microbial ...production of platform chemicals in biorefineries has been suggested to be a promising solution for these problems. Gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA), a versatile bulk chemical used in food and pharmaceutical industry, is also used as a key monomer for nylon 4. GABA can be biologically produced by decarboxylation of glutamate.
In this study, we examined high glutamate-producing Corynebacterium glutamicum strains as hosts for enhanced production of GABA from glucose and xylose as carbon sources. An Escherichia coli gadB mutant with a broad pH range of activity and E. coli xylAB genes were expressed under the control of a synthetic H36 promoter. When empty fruit bunch (EFB) solution was used as carbon source (45 g/L glucose and 5 g/L xylose), 12.54 ± 0.07 g/L GABA was produced by recombinant C. glutamicum H36GD1852 expressing E. coli gadB mutant gene and xylAB genes. Batch fermentation of the same strain resulted in the production of 35.47 g/L of GABA when EFB solution was added to support 90 g/L glucose and 10 g/L xylose.
This is the first report of GABA production by recombinant C. glutamicum strains from co-utilization of glucose and xylose from EFB solution. Recombinant C. glutamicum strains developed in this study should be useful for an efficient and sustainable production of GABA from lignocellulosic biomasses.
Extant theories of member participation in unions have sought mainly to explain spot decisions to participate in collective action and therefore are limited in explaining how members can have an ...impact on union governance. This article conceptualizes life-long activism as informal careers that begin with politicizing life experiences, are nurtured through the fulfilment of organizational roles and develop by gaining status and skills both within the union and in the members' community. Data are reported from the Los Angeles Justice for Janitors campaign two decades after initial mobilization occurred there. Existing literature has depicted activism as a response to calculus and stimulus rather than as a search for meaningful work. An alternative perspective is advanced where the force of a calling acts as the main driver of activism in which the union is seen as a vehicle for the pursuit of social justice.
Capsanthin is a red pigment and the major carotenoid component of red paprika (Capsicum annuum L.). However, its role in atherosclerosis is yet to be fully elucidated. This study investigated the ...role of dietary capsanthin in vascular inflammation in atherosclerotic mice. We evaluated the anti-atherosclerotic effects of daily oral administration of capsanthin (0.5 mg/kg of body weight/day) in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice fed a Western-type diet (WD). Capsanthin treatment inhibited vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 expression and nuclear factor-κB ser536 phosphorylation in tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated cultured endothelial cells. Dietary capsanthin significantly inhibited the WD-induced elevation in the plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride in mice. Interestingly, capsanthin reduced aortic plaque formation and VCAM-1 expression, which is vascular inflammation, in atherosclerotic mice. In addition, the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, a systemic inflammatory marker, was inhibited in capsanthin-treated mice. Furthermore, capsanthin significantly reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, interleukin-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, in the plasma of atherosclerotic mice. Collectively, our data demonstrate that dietary capsanthin plays a protective role against atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mice. This protective effect could be attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of capsanthin.
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