The understanding of acclimation strategies to low temperature and water availability is decisive to ensure coffee crop sustainability, since these environmental conditions determine the suitability ...of cultivation areas. In this context, the impacts of single and combined exposure to drought and cold were evaluated in three genotypes of the two major cropped species, Coffea arabica cv. Icatu, Coffea canephora cv. Apoatã, and the hybrid Obatã. Crucial traits of plant resilience to environmental stresses have been examined: photosynthesis, lipoperoxidation and the antioxidant response. Drought and/or cold promoted leaf dehydration, which was accompanied by stomatal and mesophyll limitations that impaired leaf C-assimilation in all genotypes. However, Icatu showed a lower impact upon stress exposure and a faster and complete photosynthetic recovery. Although lipoperoxidation was increased by drought (Icatu) and cold (all genotypes), it was greatly reduced by stress interaction, especially in Icatu. In fact, although the antioxidative system was reinforced under single drought and cold exposure (e.g., activity of enzymes as Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, APX, glutathione reductase and catalase, CAT), the stronger increases were observed upon the simultaneous exposure to both stresses, which was accompanied with a transcriptional response of some genes, namely related to APX. Complementary, non-enzyme antioxidant molecules were promoted mostly by cold and the stress interaction, including α-tocopherol (in C. arabica plants), ascorbate (ASC), zeaxanthin, and phenolic compounds (all genotypes). In general, drought promoted antioxidant enzymes activity, whereas cold enhanced the synthesis of both enzyme and non-enzyme antioxidants, the latter likely related to a higher need of antioxidative capability when enzyme reactions were probably quite repressed by low temperature. Icatu showed the wider antioxidative capability, with the triggering of all studied antioxidative molecules by drought (except CAT), cold, and, particularly, stress interaction (except ASC), revealing a clear stress cross-tolerance. This justified the lower impacts on membrane lipoperoxidation and photosynthetic capacity under stress interaction conditions, related to a better ROS control. These findings are also relevant to coffee water management, showing that watering in the cold season should be largely avoided.
Palliative care nurses are exposed to hard situations, death, and duel feelings in their daily practice. These, and other work stressors, can favor burnout development. Thus, it is important to ...analyze the prevalence and risk factors of burnout in palliative care nurses and estimate its prevalence. A systematic review and meta-analysis was done with quantitative primary studies.
= 15 studies were included with
= 6 studies including information for the meta-analysis. The meta-analytic prevalence estimation of emotional exhaustion was 24% (95% CI 16-34%), for depersonalization was 30% (95% CI 18-44%) and for low personal accomplishment was 28% with a sample of
= 693 palliative care nurses. The main variables related with burnout are occupational variables followed by psychological variables. Some interventions to improve working conditions of palliative care nurses should be implemented to reduce burnout.
Reference genes (RGs) must have a stable expression in tissues in all experimental conditions to normalize real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) data. F0104 is a highly studied ...lineage of zebrafish developed to overexpress the growth hormone (GH). It is assumed that the transgenic process may influence the expression levels of commonly used RGs. The objective of the present study was to make a comprehensive analysis of stability of canditade RGs actb1, actb2, b2m, eif2s2, eef1a1, gapdh, rplp2, rpl7, rpl13α, tuba1, and rps18, in gh-transgenic and non-transgenic zebrafish. Liver, brain, intestine and muscle samples from both groups had qRT-PCR results analyzed by dCt, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder softwares. Consensus analyses among software concluded that rpl13α, rpl7, and eef1a1 are the most stable genes for zebrafish, considering the studied groups and tissues. Gapdh, rps18, and tuba1 suffered variations in stability among different tissues of both groups, and so, they were listed as the genes with lowest stability. Results from an average pairwise variations test indicated that the use of two RGs would generate reliable results for gene expression analysis in the studied tissues. We conclude that genes that are commonly used in mammals for qRT-PCR assays have low stability in both non-transgenic and gh-transgenic zebrafish reinforcing the importance of using species-specific RGs.
The wastewater from the cookers of a tuna-canning plant was used as feedstock for the process. It was acidified in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) of 1.5 L to produce a mixture of volatile ...fatty acids (VFAs). The effluent contained 28.3 ± 8.7 g CODS/L and 25.0 ± 4.6 g CODVFA/L, 4.4 ± 1.6 g NH4+/L, and 10.9 ± 4.0 g Na+/L, which corresponds to about 28 g NaCl/L approximately. This was used to feed a PHA production system. The enriched MMC presented a capacity to accumulate PHAs from the fermented tuna wastewater. The maximum PHA content of the biomass in the fed-batch (8.35 wt% PHA) seemed very low, possibly due to the variable salinity (from 2.2 up to 12.3 g NaCl/L) and the presence of ammonium (which promoted the biomass growth). The batch assay showed a PHA accumulation of 5.70 wt% PHA, but this is a much better result if the productivity of the reactor is taken into account. The fed-batch reactor had a productivity of 10.3 mg PHA/(L h), while the batch value was about five times higher (55.4 mg PHA/(L h)). At the sight of the results, it can be seen that the acidification of fish-canning wastewater is possible even at high saline concentrations (27.7 g NaCl/L). On the other hand, the enrichment and accumulation results show us promising news and which direction has to be followed: PHAs can be obtained from challenging substrates, and the feeding mode during the accumulation stage has an important role to play when it comes to inhibition.
Sporadic Colorectal Cancer (sCRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the Western world, and the sCRC patients presenting with synchronic metastasis have the poorest prognosis. Genetic ...alterations accumulated in sCRC tumor cells translate into mutated proteins and/or abnormal protein expression levels, which contribute to the development of sCRC. Then, the tumor-associated proteins (TAAs) might induce the production of auto-antibodies (aAb) via humoral immune response. Here, Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays (NAPPArray) are employed to identify aAb in plasma samples from a set of 50 sCRC patients compared to seven healthy donors. Our goal was to establish a systematic workflow based on NAPPArray to define differential aAb profiles between healthy individuals and sCRC patients as well as between non-metastatic (n = 38) and metastatic (n = 12) sCRC, in order to gain insight into the role of the humoral immune system in controlling the development and progression of sCRC. Our results showed aAb profile based on 141 TAA including TAAs associated with biological cellular processes altered in genesis and progress of sCRC (e.g., FSCN1, VTI2 and RPS28) that discriminated healthy donors vs. sCRC patients. In addition, the potential capacity of discrimination (between non-metastatic vs. metastatic sCRC) of 7 TAAs (USP5, ML4, MARCKSL1, CKMT1B, HMOX2, VTI2, TP53) have been analyzed individually in an independent cohort of sCRC patients, where two of them (VTI2 and TP53) were validated (AUC ~75%). In turn, these findings provided novel insights into the immunome of sCRC, in combination with transcriptomics profiles and protein antigenicity characterizations, wich might lead to the identification of novel sCRC biomarkers that might be of clinical utility for early diagnosis of the tumor. These results explore the immunomic analysis as potent source for biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic value in CRC. Additional prospective studies in larger series of patients are required to confirm the clinical utility of these novel sCRC immunomic biomarkers.
Cardiometabolic status is a key factor in mortality by cardiovascular disease (CVD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study evaluated the association of cardiometabolic risk status with ...clinical activity and damage in SLE patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 158 SLE patients and 123 healthy subjects (HS). Anthropometry, glucose, hs-CRP, lipid profile, oxLDL, sCD36, anti-oxLDL antibodies, and cardiometabolic indexes were evaluated. SLE patients had dyslipidemia, higher sCD36, anti-oxLDL antibodies, hs-CRP, and risk (OR > 2) to present Castelli score ≥ 4.5, HDL-C < 40 mg/dL and LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL. Disease evolution time was correlated with glucose and BMI, damage with TG, and clinical activity with TG, TG/HDL-C ratio, and Kannel index. Active SLE patients had risk (OR > 2) to present a Castelli score ≥ 4.5, Kannel score ≥ 3, TG/HDL-C ratio ≥ 3 and HDL-C < 40 mg/dL. In conclusion, SLE patients have high cardiometabolic risk to CVD related to disease evolution time, and clinical activity.
The use of Rozen’s reagent (HOF⋅CH3CN) to convert polythiophenes to polymers containing thiophene‐1,1‐dioxide (TDO) is described. The oxidation of polythiophenes can be controlled with this potent, ...yet orthogonal reagent under mild conditions. The oxidation of poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) proceeds at room temperature in a matter of minutes, introducing up to 60 % TDO moieties in the polymer backbone. The resulting polymers have a markedly low‐lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), consequently exhibiting a small bandgap. This approach demonstrates that modulating the backbone electronic structure of well‐defined polymers, rather than varying the monomers, is an efficient means of tuning the electronic properties of conjugated polymers.
Rusted root: Rozen's reagent (HOF⋅CH3CN) can convert polythiophenes to polythiophene‐1,1‐dioxides. The oxidation of thiophene‐containing polymers, including telechelic polythiophenes, can be controlled with this potent, yet orthogonal reagent under mild conditions. By modulating the backbone of well‐defined polymers, rather than varying the monomers, this approach provides an efficient means to tune their electronic properties.
Matisia
Bonpl. is a genus of Malvaceae (Matisieae) that is distributed from Nicaragua to Brazil. Twelve species of
Matisia
have been recorded in Panama. In this article, we add two species to the ...Panamanian flora,
Matisia gentryi
Fern.Alonso and
M. tinamastiana
A.Estrada & Cascante, and provide for both species full descriptions, images, a distribution map, taxonomic notes, and conservation status. Additionally, we provide an identification key for
Matisia
in Panama and propose the synonymization of
Matisia
sect.
Tuberculatae
Fern.Alonso under
Matisia
sect.
Matisia
.
Advances in high-pressure grinding roll (HGPR) technology since its first commercial application in the cement industry include new roll wear protection techniques and new confinement systems. The ...latter contribute to reductions in the edge effects in an attempt to reach a more homogenous product size along the rolls. Additional advances in this technology have been made in recent years, while modeling and simulation tools are also reaching maturity and can now be used to subject such novel developments to detailed scrutiny. This work applies a hybrid approach combining advanced simulations using the discrete element method, the particle replacement model and multibody dynamics to a phenomenological population balance model to critically assess two recent advances in HPGR technology: spring-loaded cheek plates and the offset roller press. Force and torque controllers, included in the EDEM 2022.1 software, were used to describe the responses of the geometries in contact with the granular material processed. Simulations showed that while the former successfully reduced the lateral bypass of the material by as much as 65% when cheek plates became severely worn, the latter demonstrated lower throughput and higher potential wear but an ability to generate a finer product than the traditional design.
Abstract
DNA-binding protein domains (DBDs) sample diverse conformations in equilibrium facilitating the search and recognition of specific sites on DNA over millions of energetically degenerate ...competing sites. We hypothesize that DBDs have co-evolved to sense and exploit the strong electric potential from the array of negatively charged phosphate groups on DNA. We test our hypothesis by employing the intrinsically disordered DBD of cytidine repressor (CytR) as a model system. CytR displays a graded increase in structure, stability and folding rate on increasing the osmolarity of the solution that mimics the non-specific screening by DNA phosphates. Electrostatic calculations and an Ising-like statistical mechanical model predict that CytR exhibits features of an electric potential sensor modulating its dimensions and landscape in a unique distance-dependent manner, while DNA plays the role of a non-specific macromolecular chaperone. Accordingly, CytR binds its natural half-site faster than the diffusion-controlled limit and even random DNA conforming to an electrostatic-steering binding mechanism. Our work unravels for the first time the synergistic features of a natural electrostatic potential sensor, a novel binding mechanism driven by electrostatic frustration and disorder, and the role of DNA in promoting distance-dependent protein structural transitions critical for switching between specific and non-specific DNA-binding modes.
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