The textbook description of mitochondrial respiratory complexes (RCs) views them as free-moving entities linked by the mobile carriers coenzyme Q (CoQ) and cytochrome c (cyt c). This model (known as ...the fluid model) is challenged by the proposal that all RCs except complex II can associate in supercomplexes (SCs). The proposed SCs are the respirasome (complexes I, III, and IV), complexes I and III, and complexes III and IV. The role of SCs is unclear, and their existence is debated. By genetic modulation of interactions between complexes I and III and III and IV, we show that these associations define dedicated CoQ and cyt c pools and that SC assembly is dynamic and organizes electron flux to optimize the use of available substrates.
Background
Nurses frequently work as part of both uni‐ and multidisciplinary teams. Communication between team members is critical in the delivery of quality care. Social network analysis is ...increasingly being used to explore such communication.
Aim
To explore the use of social network analysis involving nurses either as subjects of the study or as researchers.
Methods
Standard systematic review procedures were applied to identify nurse‐related studies that utilize social network analysis. A comparative thematic approach to synthesis was used.
Both published and grey literature written in English, Spanish and Portuguese between January 1965 and December 2013 were identified via a structured search of CINAHL, SciELO and PubMed. In addition, Google and Yahoo search engines were used to identify additional grey literature using the same search strategy.
Results
Forty‐three primary studies were identified with literature from North America dominating the published work. So far it would appear that no author or group of authors have developed a programme of research in the nursing field using the social network analysis approach although several authors may be in the process of doing so.
Limitations
The dominance of literature from North America may be viewed as problematic as the underlying structures and themes may be an artefact of cultural communication norms from this region.
Conclusions
The use of social network analysis in relation to nursing and by nurse researchers has increased rapidly over the past two decades. The lack of longitudinal studies and the absence of replication across multiple sites should be seen as an opportunity for further research.
Implication for Nursing and Health Policy
This analytical approach is relatively new in the field of nursing but does show considerable promise in offering insights into the way information flows between individuals, teams, institutions and other structures. An understanding of these structures provides a means of improving communication.
•Extraction of psychoactive substances by MEPS.•Rapid determination of new drugs of abuse in plasma by UPLC-PDA.•Low LOD and LOQ are achieved with this new method.•Successful comparison of results ...obtained by MEPS-UPLC-PDA and SPE-GC–MS.
A miniaturized and simple method based on digitally programmed microextraction by packed sorbent (eVol®-MEPS) coupled to ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) has been developed for quantitative determination of three synthetic cathinones and seven conventional drugs of abuse and metabolites. The influence of several extraction parameters, such as washing and elution solvents were tested. In addition important variables affecting MEPS performance, namely sample volume, sorbent drying time, washing solvent volume, elution volume, number of extraction cycles, sorbent phase and pH, were evaluated using an asymmetrical screening design. The optimal experimental conditions involved 300μL of plasma, loading 10×100μL of sample through a C8/SCX sorbent in a MEPS syringe placed in the semi-automatic eVol® system, washing using 150μL H2O:MeOH (90:10, v/v), drying for 0.5min and elution using 200μL dichloromethane:2-propanol:ammonium hydroxide (78:20:2, v/v/v). The drugs separation was achieved using an ACQUITY BEH Shield RP18 column (2.1mm×100mm×1.7μm) in 3min. Under optimized conditions the proposed method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ), precision and matrix effect, using standard addition calibration. The combination of MEPS and UPLC provides a method for the primary screening of the analytes in 18min with excellent recoveries at three concentration levels, ranging between 80 and 104% (relative standard deviation <11%). The developed methodology has been successfully applied to plasma samples from polydrug abusers.
Complex topological configurations are fertile ground for exploring emergent phenomena and exotic phases in condensed-matter physics. For example, the recent discovery of polarization vortices and ...their associated complex-phase coexistence and response under applied electric fields in superlattices of (PbTiO
)
/(SrTiO
)
suggests the presence of a complex, multi-dimensional system capable of interesting physical responses, such as chirality, negative capacitance and large piezo-electric responses
. Here, by varying epitaxial constraints, we discover room-temperature polar-skyrmion bubbles in a lead titanate layer confined by strontium titanate layers, which are imaged by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Phase-field modelling and second-principles calculations reveal that the polar-skyrmion bubbles have a skyrmion number of +1, and resonant soft-X-ray diffraction experiments show circular dichroism, confirming chirality. Such nanometre-scale polar-skyrmion bubbles are the electric analogues of magnetic skyrmions, and could contribute to the advancement of ferroelectrics towards functionalities incorporating emergent chirality and electrically controllable negative capacitance.
Topological solitons such as magnetic skyrmions have drawn attention as stable quasi-particle-like objects. The recent discovery of polar vortices and skyrmions in ferroelectric oxide superlattices ...has opened up new vistas to explore topology, emergent phenomena and approaches for manipulating such features with electric fields. Using macroscopic dielectric measurements, coupled with direct scanning convergent beam electron diffraction imaging on the atomic scale, theoretical phase-field simulations and second-principles calculations, we demonstrate that polar skyrmions in (PbTiO
)
/(SrTiO
)
superlattices are distinguished by a sheath of negative permittivity at the periphery of each skyrmion. This enhances the effective dielectric permittivity compared with the individual SrTiO
and PbTiO
layers. Moreover, the response of these topologically protected structures to electric field and temperature shows a reversible phase transition from the skyrmion state to a trivial uniform ferroelectric state, accompanied by large tunability of the dielectric permittivity. Pulsed switching measurements show a time-dependent evolution and recovery of the skyrmion state (and macroscopic dielectric response). The interrelationship between topological and dielectric properties presents an opportunity to simultaneously manipulate both by a single, and easily controlled, stimulus, the applied electric field.
KEY MESSAGE : Proof of concept of Bayesian integrated QTL analyses across pedigree-related families from breeding programs of an outbreeding species. Results include QTL confidence intervals, ...individuals’ genotype probabilities and genomic breeding values. Bayesian QTL linkage mapping approaches offer the flexibility to study multiple full sib families with known pedigrees simultaneously. Such a joint analysis increases the probability of detecting these quantitative trait loci (QTL) and provide insight of the magnitude of QTL across different genetic backgrounds. Here, we present an improved Bayesian multi-QTL pedigree-based approach on an outcrossing species using progenies with different (complex) genetic relationships. Different modeling assumptions were studied in the QTL analyses, i.e., the a priori expected number of QTL varied and polygenic effects were considered. The inferences include number of QTL, additive QTL effect sizes and supporting credible intervals, posterior probabilities of QTL genotypes for all individuals in the dataset, and QTL-based as well as genome-wide breeding values. All these features have been implemented in the FlexQTL™ software. We analyzed fruit firmness in a large apple dataset that comprised 1,347 individuals forming 27 full sib families and their known ancestral pedigrees, with genotypes for 87 SSR markers on 17 chromosomes. We report strong or positive evidence for 14 QTL for fruit firmness on eight chromosomes, validating our approach as several of these QTL were reported previously, though dispersed over a series of studies based on single mapping populations. Interpretation of linked QTL was possible via individuals’ QTL genotypes. The correlation between the genomic breeding values and phenotypes was on average 90 %, but varied with the number of detected QTL in a family. The detailed posterior knowledge on QTL of potential parents is critical for the efficiency of marker-assisted breeding.
Researchers have been working hard for more than 20years to develop safe and effective microbicides to empower women to better control their own sexual life and to protect themselves against HIV and ...other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Microbicide classes include moderately specific macromolecular anionic polymers that block HIV and other STIs, and HIV specific drugs that inhibit viral entry and reverse transcription. Based on innovative nanotechnology design, we showed a novel water-soluble anionic carbosilane dendrimer (2G-S16) as a propitious molecule against HIV-infection. A state-of-the-art research was accomplished that focused on biomedical cutting-edge techniques such as in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity assays performed on female rabbit genital tracts, simulate in vitro model of vaginal epithelium in order to evaluate HIV transmission blockade through the monolayer, complete gene expression profiling experiment to study deregulated genes after 2G-S16 exposition, molecular dynamics simulation of 2G-S16 molecule against principal proteins of HIV particles and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine profile study. Therefore, a high-throughput study and detailed analysis of the results were achieved in this article. We provided promising outcomes to encourage 2G-S16 as a hopeful microbicide.
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► The pyrolysis of reinforcing fibres obtained from scrap tyres has been studied. ► The results have been compared to scrap tyre granules. ► A higher temperature is needed for the total decomposition ...of the fibres. ► More compounds with heteroatoms (O, N) were found in the oil from the fibres. ► Chars from the fibres exhibit lower BET surface and mesopore volume.
The fibres that are used to reinforce tyres can be recovered as a waste in the process of grinding of scrap tyres. In this paper beneficiation through pyrolysis is studied since the fibres are made up of polymers with a small amount of rubber because the latter is difficult to separate. The experiments were performed at three temperatures (400, 550 and 900
°C) in a horizontal oven. The three products – gas, oil and char – obtained from the pyrolysis were investigated. The composition of the gas was analyzed by means of gas chromatography. The oil was studied by gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The char porous structure was determined by N
2 adsorption. In addition, the topography of the chars was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The products resulting from the pyrolysis of the fibres were compared with those obtained from scrap rubber.
The present study aimed to analyze the behavior of different activated carbons in the adsorption and removal of bisphenol A (2−2-bis-4-hydroxypheniyl propane) from aqueous solutions in order to ...identify the parameters that determine this process. Two commercial activated carbons and one prepared in our laboratory from almond shells were used; they were texturally and chemically characterized, obtaining the surface area, pore size distribution, mineral matter content, elemental analysis, oxygen surface groups, and pH of the point of zero charge (pHPZC), among other parameters. Adsorption isotherms of bisphenol A and adsorption capacities were obtained. The capacity of the carbons to remove bisphenol A was related to their characteristics. Thus, the adsorption of bisphenol A on activated carbon fundamentally depends on the chemical nature of the carbon surface and the pH of the solution. The most favorable experimental conditions for this process are those in which the net charge density of the carbon is zero and the bisphenol A is in molecular form. Under these conditions, the adsorbent−adsorbate interactions that govern the adsorption mechanism are enhanced. Influences of the mineral matter present in the carbon samples and the solution chemistry (pH and ionic strength) were also analyzed. The presence of mineral matter in carbons reduces their adsorption capacity because of the hydrophilic nature of the matter. The presence of electrolytes in the solution favor the adsorption process because of the screening effect produced between the positively charged carbon surface and the bisphenol A molecules, with a resulting increase in adsorbent−adsorbate interactions.
The aim of the present work is to determine whether a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland treating wastewater could act simultaneously as a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Specifically, and as ...the main variable under study, different organic loading rates were used, and the response of the system was monitored. The installation consisted of a synthetic domestic wastewater-feeding system and a pilot-scale constructed wetland for wastewater treatment, which also included coupled devices necessary to function as an MFC. The wetland worked under continuous operation for 180 d, treating three types of synthetic wastewater with increasing organic loading rates: 13.9 g COD m−2 d−1, 31.1 g COD m−2 d−1, and 61.1 g COD m−2 d−1. The COD removal efficiencies and the cell voltage generation were continuously monitored. The wetland worked simultaneously as an MFC generating electric power. Under low organic loading rates, the wastewater organic matter was completely oxidised in the lower anaerobic compartment, and there were slight aerobic conditions in the upper cathodic compartment, thus causing an electrical current. Under high organic loading rates, the organic matter could not be completely oxidised in the anodic compartment and flowed to the cathodic one, which entered into anaerobic conditions and caused the MFC to stop working. The system developed in this work offered similar cell voltage, power density, and current density values compared with the ones obtained in previous studies using photosynthetic MFCs, sediment-type MFCs, and plant-type MFCs. The light/darkness changes caused voltage fluctuations due to the photosynthetic activity of the macrophytes used (Phragmites australis), which affected the conditions in the cathodic compartment.
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•A wastewater treatment constructed wetland worked as a microbial fuel cell.•Low organic loading rates allowed depurating and also obtaining electrical power.•High organic loadings caused anaerobic conditions and stopped electricity production.•The power generation was similar to several reported natural technologies.
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